The Black Market Baby Scandal
by Detective Olivia Stabler
Summary: El & Liv have just landed a big case & have little time to work it before the media catches on. The case hit’s a little too close to home for Olivia. What will happen when she is forced to face the past that has been haunting her all of these years?
1. 1 Lucid Dreams

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter One: Lucid Dreams)_

Olivia opened her eyes in the dark. Her breathing was heavy and it took a moment for her to realize what was real. She had that dream again. The same one she had been having for twelve years now. As if something from her past was calling to her, haunting her and refusing to be forgotten. Not like she could forget anyway.

It wasn't a nightmare really, just a dream. But it was so real. And afterward she always felt this ache in her heart, a heavy emptiness that she just couldn't shake. A longing to be back there in that moment before she had lost control, a yearning for a second chance. She took a deep breath and held the pillow against her chest. She closed her eyes and tried to go back to sleep.

The next morning at work Olivia sat quiet at her desk thinking about her dreams the night before. In front of her laid and open file for a case they were supposed to be working on. Actually it was a case that had gone cold over a year ago after their only suspect in the rapes of three women had been killed in a car accident.

"I've got a case," Cragen announced as he walked toward their desks. "It's gonna be a big one and we need to get as much as we can before the media catches wind of it. Benson, Stabler, I want you on it! This is your top priority. Munch and Fin you help them out with whatever they need. We need an arrest on this and soon. It is tragic really and when it hit's the papers that is going to make our jobs a Hell of a lot herder to do." He tossed the file down on the desk in front of Olivia.

"What is it?" Elliot asked rolling his office chair around to beside her to try and get a better look.

"A few hospitals across town suspected of stealing babies from mothers and selling them on the black market. A sting operation has already got a doctor and a couple of nurses that were involved. But the deeper we look into it the more evidence we find to suggest there may be an entire ring of these people out there. We have proof of over two dozen children so far over the last fifteen years that were stolen from their parents. The doctor would tell the mother her baby had died or keep a baby from a woman who had given birth to twins. Seven of these kids have been located and custody issues are being worked out in court. I have a box full of patient files here that need gone through. Every pregnant woman who was treated or delivered at this hospital in the last fifteen years. I need you two to go through this and weed out any who didn't deliver there and the ones who saw the good doctor to terminate their pregnancy. Then we'll divide up the remaining files between the two of you and Munch and Fin and start interviewing these women. We might be able to hold these blood thirsty media sharks off the weekend, if we're lucky."

That night it was beer and pizza as Elliot and Olivia sat in the living room floor of her apartment with stacks of files surrounding them.

"This is a nightmare. These poor women," Elliot said as he pulled another stack of files from the box.

"I think we have done enough for one night," Olivia said as she scooped up Elliot's stack of files and dropped them back into the box placing the lid on it and carrying it to the table.

"Liv, I wasn't finished with those." Elliot watched her as she restacked the files they had weeded out and discarded. She had been acting strange all day today. But even more so since Cragen had saddled them with this case. Olivia had something on her mind, something heavy and she wasn't ready to talk to him about it yet. So he decided to wait it out until she was ready.

"It's after two in the morning El. And we have a lot to get done tomorrow. Why don't you just crash in the guest room. Get some sleep and we can pick this up tomorrow."

"Yeah. Olivia, are you okay? You just kind of act like something is bothering you."

"I'm fine. I'm just really tired."

"Good night, Liv."

"Good night, El."

The next morning Olivia awoke to the inviting smell of fresh coffee. She stretched and opened her eyes to stare up at the ceiling for a moment. She smiled and climbed from the bed slipping on a pair of blue jeans and a tee shirt before heading to the kitchen.

She walked into the room to take a seat at the bar and noticed one of the files as it laid unopened on the counter in front of her. Olivia pressed her lips together nervously as she shifted her eyes to meet Elliot's then looked back down at the file.

"Have you read it?" She asked softly with a look of guilt in her eyes.

"No, I didn't open it." He slid the file across the bar placing it in front of her as he handed her a cup of coffee. "I figured it was private. And if you wanted me to know, you would tell me."

Elliot watched her as tears began to fill her eyes. She folded her arms in front of her and lowered her head to cry. Elliot leaned across the counter, cupping his hand and resting it on the back of her head.

"Liv, I am not here to judge you. I would never do that. But you know the shit is gonna hit the fan when it gets out that you had a file in that box. And it is only going to get worse when the media catches on. I just want to help you."

"I thought I had finally left this all in my past. Now it's here and there is no way to put it behind me."

"I want to make this file just disappear. I want to just throw it away or destroy it so that you don't have to be involved in everything that is about to go on. But I can't do that."

"I wouldn't expect you to Elliot. And even if we destroyed that file, there are ways of finding that information. Then we just damaged the case by attempting to hide the file."

Elliot poured them both another cup of coffee as they took a seat on the sofa and she began to explain the events that resulted in her name appearing on that file.


	2. 2 Olivia's Secret

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Two: Olivia's Secret)_

Olivia stared down into the black liquid in her coffee mug. No more stalling, this was the time and the truth had to come out. She bit her lip nervously and looked up at Elliot.

"You're disappointed in me? I can see it in your eyes," she said softly.

"I not disappointed in you, Olivia. I'm worried about you. This case is obviously bothering you and for a damn good reason," he said tossing the file down onto the coffee table.

"You can read it if you want. Before long everyone is going to know."

Elliot leaned back on the couch beside her and reached for her hand. "Maybe it would be easier if you just told me what happened." He watched as she started to tear up again.

"I didn't know what to do. The only thing I could do was try to move on and put it all behind me."

"You had an abortion?" Elliot's eyes widened watching every move she made and every breath she took. Abortion was against everything Olivia believed, she must have been pretty desperate and terribly scared to have gone that far. No wonder she had tried so hard to hide it.

He watched her as she wiped tears from her cheek and tried to regain herself. She didn't say yes, but she didn't say no. Infact, she had completely avoided answering his question all together. Olivia took a jagged breath and exhaled slowly. Elliot watched her bottom lip quiver just a bit as she started to speak softly.

"I was twenty five and working on my masters. My mother and I had fallen out of touch and I was struggling to make ends meet. I had to drop down to going to school part time so that I could work enough to pay the bills. I had been dating this guy for about six months. He was older than me, a professor at another school. I thought we were serious. I guess he didn't. One day I got a strange phone call….from his wife. I never knew he was married. Anyway, I broke it off when I found out. Three weeks later I found out I was pregnant. I didn't know what to do. I went to him and tried to talk to him. I wasn't exactly sure what I thought I would accomplish, but I thought he had a right to know. He handed me four hundred dollars and told me to get rid of it. I was devastated." She took another deep breath and paused for a moment.

"What did you do?" Elliot asked as he squeezed her hand.

"I was so scared. I took the money and left. But the more I thought about things, the more I knew I couldn't do it. I don't think I ever really considered it. At one point I attempted to call my mother, but she answered the phone drunk and I just hung up. I was pregnant and alone. I quit school and picked up more hours at work. I used the money he gave me with what savings I had to put a deposit on a small two bedroom place of my own. I saved and worked as long as I could. At one time I felt overwhelmed and had considered giving the baby up for adoption. But the first time I felt it move inside me, I knew I couldn't give it up."

Elliot watched her as she smiled at the memory. She hadn't noticed but she had dropped one hand to her belly as she was telling the emotional story.

"Things went well over the next several months. I got the nursery set up and was picking out names and gearing up to do this on my own. Then one night out of the blue I started having contractions and bleeding. I thought for sure I was losing my baby. I was not quite eight months along. I called an ambulance and they rushed me to the hospital. By the time I got there I was too far into labor for them to stop it and I had already lost so much blood. The doctor delivered my baby twenty minutes after I arrived at the hospital. A little girl."

Olivia took a staggered breath and looked at Elliot as tears poured down her face.

"She weighed four pounds two ounces, I named her Emily. She was so tiny. One of the nurses wrapped her in a blanket and handed her to me. I only got to hold her for a few minutes before the doctor came and took her away. He told me I needed my rest and gave me a shot to help me sleep. When I woke up the next morning, they told me that my baby girl had died during the night. The doctor said it was just too early. They later said that I had placenta previa and that was what had caused the premature labor. I had never even heard of it until then. Two days later I left the hospital and came home without my baby. I donated all of the things from the nursery. The changing table and tons of baby clothes. A rocking chair and the crib that my baby never got the chance to sleep in. The only thing I kept was the blanket she was wrapped in at the hospital and a sonogram picture. I have had them in a box in the top of my closet for years."

"I am so sorry, Olivia."

"That was twelve years ago. And I still cannot get her out of my head. I have always had these dreams. And in them I relive that night. And it is so real. I can almost feel the contractions and I can see her and feel her. Then I wake up and I realize she is really gone and I will never get to hold her again or hear her cry. For years after I lost her I would see a little girl with dark hair and eyes that would be around the same age Emily would have been and for just a moment I would catch myself wondering if that could be my daughter. For just a moment, I find hope. Then I remember that my baby is gone and she isn't coming back."

"Olivia, if your file is in this box. If you delivered your baby at one of these hospitals, then there is a chance…."

"Elliot, she was premature. And there were complications with the delivery. I don't doubt that she died. Every parent who loses their child has a place inside them where they secretly hope that somehow there was a horrible mistake and their child isn't really dead. I have finally come to terms with it. It just happens sometimes."

"Maybe you're right. Liv, but maybe you are wrong. They say that a mother has a connection with her child from the early moments of pregnancy. That a mother clear across the country can feel when her child is sick or injured or scared."

"But my child is dead, Elliot."

"Maybe she isn't Liv. Maybe she was stolen with the rest of these babies. And maybe that is why you have had these dreams for the last twelve years. Maybe this is your body's way of trying to tell you that she is still out there somewhere and she needs you."

Olivia just stared at him with a blank expression on her face.

"Look Liv, maybe she was just too early. Did they ever show you a body?"

"No. I asked, but they had already taken care of her."

"Taken care of her?"

"They held the body for a few days. Then they released her to the funeral home so that I could bury her. There was no service. Just me and a preacher and a tiny casket delivered into the ground by the workers from the funeral home."

"But you never saw her before you buried her?"

"No. El, I appreciate everything you are trying to do here. But it is just a little far fetched and I can't get my hopes up just to be let down. My daughter died. End of story."

"But that is what the doctor told all of those other women, too. Then he sold their babies to the highest bidder."

"Yes, but those women all delivered healthy full term babies. I had a preemie. And babies born as early as she was often don't survive. Besides, wouldn't the funeral home notice if they didn't have a body to put into the casket?"

"We still don't know how many people were involved with this, Olivia. Isn't it at least possible?"

"I guess so. But I didn't even see this doctor that they have arrested. I have never even met him."

"Are you going to be okay to work this case?"

"I'm okay, Elliot. I just am not so excited about everyone finding out about my past."

"Liv, you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I know. But I also know that everyone will be talking about it and I really just don't want to deal with it. I tried so hard to put it all behind me and move on. And now to have it all dragged up again. It is a little stressful."

"I do think you should take this to Cragen and explain it to him before the press find out. These records are supposed to be private. But anyone with enough money can get a hold of the information. Once they tie you to this case personally and realize that you are also one of the detectives assigned to work on it, you are going to have press camped out on your door step trying to get information from you."

"I didn't think of that."

"Maybe you should pack some things and come stay with me for a while. Just until this all blows over. I have a spare room, it's all yours if you want it."

"I appreciate the offer, Elliot. But I think maybe I should wait and see how this all goes down. There is no point in over reacting."

"Okay, but the offer stands. Anytime you need someone. Or if you need anything. I can be here in minutes."

Olivia smiled and took a deep breath as she laid her head against his shoulder.

"I'm glad you're here. It's nice to finally be able to talk about this with someone. Kind of get it off my chest, you know?"

"Well I am here any time you need to talk. Just call me that's what friends are for, right?"

"Thanks, El."

"No problem, sweetheart."

Elliot hugged her and she smiled for the first time all morning. Somewhere inside he knew this was far from over. And things would get a lot harder on Olivia before they got better.


	3. 3 The Search For The Truth

_**The Black Market Baby Scandal**_

_**(Chapter Three: The Search For The Truth)**_

**Olivia sat at her desk reading a file on another woman who had delivered a baby at the same hospital she had. This woman's son was born only two months before Olivia's daughter and was delivered by the same doctor. Her baby had died as well. **

**She took a deep breath and placed her hand under her chin as she stared down at the woman's address in the file. What if Elliot was right? What if something strange was going on? What if her daughter was out there somewhere, alive? Her eyes scanned the room landing on Elliot standing beside the coffee pot talking to Fin. Everyone had been acting strange around her today. By now they had all found out about her personal involvement with this case and they didn't know how to act or what to say around her, so they didn't. Infact, everyone had pretty much avoided her. Everyone, that is except for Elliot.**

**She stared down at the file once more then picked up her pen and scribbled the woman's name and address onto a yellow sticky note and grabbed the car keys from Elliot's desk. She had to get to the bottom of this. **

"**What's up?" Elliot asked with a puzzled look on his face as Olivia walked past him toward the elevator. He turned quickly to follow her out of the room. "Liv, where you going?"**

"**There is something I need to take care of," she replied stepping into the elevator and crossing her arms in front of her.**

**Elliot stepped into the elevator just as the doors closed and they began their descend to the first floor.**

"**Look El, I appreciate all of your support in this. I really do. But I think this is something I need to do on my own."**

"**Cragen told me not to let you out of my site until this thing is over. It is a fluke that you are even still on the case. Half the department is out with the flu and there is no one else for them to send in to cover you. Besides the media camped out front of the building are having a heyday with the story behind this **_**Black Market Baby Scandal **_**and I imagine things will only get worse once they figure out you are involved."**

"**We don't know that I am involved." **

**As the elevator doors opened and they stepped out onto the steps, Elliot and Olivia were immediately surrounded by a sea of microphones and flash bulbs. Olivia tried to fight her way through the crowd to get to their squad car parked out front, but it was no use. Half way down the staircase and she felt someone behind her take hold of her wrist pulling her back up the steps and into the lobby of the police station. **

"**So," Elliot said looking up at her as she tried to catch her breath, "do you wanna hear my idea?"**

"**What is that?"**

**Elliot pulled a set of keys from his pocket and dangled them in front of her. **

"**We take my car. It's parked out back."**

"**We?"**

"**I gave Cragen my word."**

**Olivia shifted her eyes to look at the swarm of reporters out front as three uniformed officers attempted to run them off. There was no way she was going through that mess again.**

"**Deal," she agreed as Elliot held the door for her and they walked through the fire exit and into the back parking lot. "How did you know to park back here?"**

"**When I came in this morning there were two news vans parked down the block from the precinct. I figured they had caught wind of the case. So I circled the block and came in the back way. So where are we headed?"**

**Olivia handed him the little slip of paper and Elliot studied the address. He looked back up at Olivia with questions in his eyes.**

"**This woman gave birth two months before I did. Same doctor, same hospital. Her baby died too."**

"**Ahh. So are you actually starting to think that maybe Emily could still be alive?"**

"**I'm starting to think that it is suspicious that a doctor delivers two infants two months apart who both die under suspicious circumstances and no one ever looked into it."**

"**Suspicious circumstances? I thought you said that Emily just died because she was premature."**

"**She did. Or that is what they told me. But the more I think about it now, there are so many things that do not make sense. I had been seeing my regular doctor for months, never missed a check up and he never said anything about placenta previa. I had an appointment the day before I had her and everything was fine. Then all of a sudden I started having complications?"**

"**Your doctor examined you the day before you gave birth and didn't mention a serious condition that should probably result in a cesarean delivery?"**

"**No. He said everything seemed fine. The nurse came in and gave me a B12 shot and then I went home. Everything seemed fine."**

"**She gave you a B12 shot?"**

"**She said the levels in my blood sample were low. It's not uncommon."**

"**So there was nothing out of the ordinary about that appointment?"**

"**Not really."**

"**So how do you go from being fine and having a healthy check up to having a premature birth just six hours later? Something about this isn't right."**

"**I know. It seems like there would be something, anything out of place. But everything was the same as each visit before that. Sometimes women just go into labor early. I am hoping to find out more once I talk to this woman, Dana Shaw. Maybe something about her experience can help me remember something. I just really don't want to jump to accuse someone if my baby really did die of natural causes."**

"**2801, 2803, 2805, here we go," Elliot said as he pulled the car into the drive way of the Shaw residence. **

**Olivia climbed out of the car and closed the door behind her. She looked around the yard at the children's toys scattered here and there. **

"**You okay?"**

"**Yeah. I'm fine."**

"**Liv, if this is too much you can wait in the car and I can go in alone."**

"**No, I need to talk to her."**

**Elliot smiled and gripped her shoulder for a moment in support, then followed Olivia to the front door. Dana Shaw was a tall dark headed woman with green eyes. She wasn't old really, but had several gray and silver hairs woven through her pony tail. If he were to guess, Elliot would estimate Dana to be about five years older than Olivia. **

**Dana invited them inside to talk. Olivia's eyes immediately found the school photographs of the kids hanging on the wall. Three boys and two girls. All with freckles and perfect smiles. **

"**You have a lovely family Mrs. Shaw," Olivia said pointing to the pictures.**

"**Dana. Thank you. This is Daniel, David, Darren, Danielle and Dakota. And of course my husband Dan."**

**Olivia glanced at Elliot who raised his eyebrow and shook his head. She smiled and turned her attention back to Dana. **

"**We need to ask you a few questions about your son that was born on November 20, 1996. That baby passed away, is that correct?"**

"**Yes, Devon. I already had my oldest two boys. After we lost him, we didn't think we could have any more."**

"**Why is that?" Elliot chimed in.**

"**Well, the doctor at Saint Ambrose who delivered Devon said that something went wrong in delivery. Just before the baby was born, he rushed my husband out of the delivery room and said there were complications. They put an oxygen mask on me while I was pushing, but the gas made me so tired. About ten minutes later my son was born. The doctor said he was stillborn, but I didn't believe him."**

"**Why not?" Olivia asked.**

"**Well, I was groggy. But I wasn't completely out of it. I saw the baby move when the doctor handed him off to the nurse."**

"**Did your son ever cry?" Olivia stared at the woman with her heart pounding.**

"**See, that is the thing. I swear I remember hearing him cry when he was born. But stillborns don't cry. I told my husband about it later and he asked the doctor. But they insisted my son was born dead. I didn't believe them, so they showed me the body of a dead baby. But that baby seemed much smaller than the one I saw the nurse carry from the delivery room. I tried to explain it all to my husband that something just didn't add up right, but he said it was probably just the gas they gave me."**

"**Did you have any complications with your pregnancy?"**

"**No, it was fine. Perfectly healthy and I was set to deliver a full term baby boy. Even the morning he was born he was really active and kicking, but it was nothing out of the ordinary. There was no pain or bleeding. And this was not my first delivery. I had my first two sons when we lived in Texas….."**

"**Dallas?" Elliot asked with a looking at Olivia.**

"**No, Houston."**

**Olivia shot him a glare and Elliot shrugged his shoulders at her.**

**Dana looked back at Elliot then forward to Olivia once more. **

"**I didn't notice anything different with the delivery. There was pain from the contractions, yes. But nothing out of the ordinary."**

**Olivia took a deep breath and sighed. **

"**And this doctor told you that you wouldn't have anymore children?"**

"**Well, he said that the damage to my uterus was what had caused the complications and lead to the baby's death. But five years later I became pregnant with Danielle. After losing Devon, we decided we didn't want to go back to that hospital and chose a different one. My new doctor said that he didn't see any damage at all and I had a perfect pregnancy and delivery with both of the girls. After a while, Dan and I just assumed that this was a fluke thing and it happened sometimes. We just wanted to put it all behind us."**

"**That is understandable," Olivia said softly as she finished the last of her notes. "Thank you so much for your help," she adds trying to excuse herself to the door. **

"**What is this about? Does this have anything to do with that black market baby thing on television?"**

**Olivia looked up at Elliot. She couldn't speak. She couldn't bring herself to lie to this woman or blow her off just because they had no concrete evidence to support theory. Somehow she and this woman were the same. Both victims of circumstance in this sick game fate had decided to play on them. Olivia was there only because that was the hospital the ambulance had delivered her to. And Dana would probably have all six of her healthy children with her now had she and her husband just remained in Texas and resisted whatever calling had brought them to New York. Fate had fucked them both this time. **

**Olivia turned unable to face Dana and moved toward the front door.**

"**We are just checking with all of the women who delivered in the area around that time. It is just procedure. If we find anything, we will be sure to let you know."**

**With that Elliot followed his partner's lead before Dana could front him with any more questions he wasn't sure how to answer. Olivia was already inside the car by the time he made it down the front steps. He could tell she was upset by the information that Dana had given them. Something had triggered a memory or somehow released this dam of emotion she had been struggling so hard to hold back.**

**He stood beside the car for a moment to give her a few seconds in private to try and recompose herself before he intruded on her emotional breakdown. He knew she was crying now and as much as he hated to see her cry, she hated more for him to see her cry. After a couple of seconds, Elliot opened the car door and climbed inside. By now, her emotional outburst been reduced to a few occasional sniffles, foggy eyes and tear stained cheeks.**

**He said nothing. There were no words that could make this better for her. Elliot stared ahead through the windshield of the car as he reached his hand to her shoulder and squeezed it softly in support. She sniffled once more and drew a staggered breath.**

"**That doctor took that woman's baby," she said softly more sure of that than anything.**

"**Yes," Elliot answered simply.**

"**And you think he took Emily?" She cocked her head to the side ever so softly as she gazed into him with weary eyes.**

"**I do."**

**Elliot watched as a tear slipped uncontrollably from the corner of her eye and rolled gown her cheek.**

"**And you think she is still alive?"**

**Elliot nodded silently as Olivia began to tear up again.**

"**So do I," she whispered almost breathlessly. She lowered her face into her hands and cried.**

"**There is only one way to find out," he said with determination in his voice as he started the car.**

**It was well past quitting time by the time they got back into the city and Elliot wasn't about to make her face that media circus again tonight. Instead he drove her to his apartment across town. Olivia raised her head and looked out the window as they pulled into the parking space.**

"**Elliot, I'm sure it is safe for me to go home. The press has not found out yet."**

"**I know," he said slipping his hand into hers, "but it has been a long emotional day and I really don't think you should be alone tonight. Stay here with me. We'll order some take out and open a bottle of your favorite wine. I get you something to sleep in and you can use some of Eli's Mr. Bubble. I'll run you by your place in the morning to change before work."**

**Olivia smiled through her exhaustion, her head still leaned against the window. It was sad sometimes how adorable his childlike behavior was. He was beneath this big tough guy exterior big sweet kid who just wanted to protect everyone around him. And she knew that he would do absolutely anything for her and absolutely anything to make her smile or keep her from crying. This was the father in him coming out. The father whose fear of not being able to make the bad go away and protect her from it showed his venerability and this was his cover. **

"**Okay," she said softly. "But no pizza. I want Chinese food."**

"**Chinese food it is."**

**Elliot smiled softly and she laughed. It was so nice to know that no matter what kind of shit she found herself in, Elliot was always right there beside her waist deep in it too helping her to trudge through it until she found her truth on the other side. He was a true friend. One of those rare jewels that you find in the strangest of places. A diamond in the rough. And sometimes she wondered if she was the only one who could see his shine.**

**After dinner Elliot made a few calls. He contacted Alex, who in tern contacted a judge to get a warrant and permission to exhume the graves of each of the infants whom had presumably died after being delivered by either of the two doctors they now held suspect. One of those little graves being Emily's.**

**The next afternoon they stood by and watched as eight tiny little caskets were unearthed at local cemeteries. Each of them then being transferred to a local warehouse the department had rented to house them until a proper investigation could be conducted.**

**One by one Melinda Warner opened the tiny boxes. Elliot stood by Olivia's side, her hand clutched tight in his as Melinda approached Emily's little casket.**

"**I can't watch El," Olivia breathed as tears fell from her eyes.**

**Elliot turned her and cupped his hand to the back of her head bringing her forehead to rest against his chest. Olivia closed her eyes tight as she felt the warm comfort of Elliot's strong arms close around her in support.**

**She listened as the rusted hinges of the little casket creaked and the lid was opened.**

"**Olivia, look."**

**She felt Elliot's grip on her loosen as her turned her back to face the row of tiny coffins. She drew a deep breath and felt Elliot wrap his arms around her once more. She opened her eyes to stare ahead as six of the eight caskets now sat with the lid propped open and a small teddy bear laid in the place where each of the deceased infants should have been. One of them a badly mud and water stained pink bear where Olivia's daughter Emily was supposed to be resting all of these years.**

**Olivia turned and looked at the two closed caskets and back up at Melinda. "Those two actually contain remains. I'm going to have them sent to the lab for DNA testing and make sure the infant inside is the one who was supposed to be buried in that grave." **

**Olivia nodded.**

"**I don't know whether to say congratulations or apologize. It is good news that your daughter is not among these remains, but bad in the fact that your journey is just beginning and we have no way of knowing where she is."**

"**I'll find her," Olivia said raising her head and pressing her lips together. "She has been speaking to me all of these years. And now that I know for sure, I will never give up until I find her." **

**Olivia turned to look at Elliot as he brushed the tears from her cheeks.**

"**You are not alone in this. You know that, don't you? I'm going to be right here," he said squeezing her hand in his, "until we bring Emily home."**

**Elliot brushed a piece of hair behind her ear and before he knew it had guided her forehead to rest against his lips. Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. For the first time in years she knew beyond a doubt that her daughter was still alive.**


	4. 4 Poisoned Lies

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Four: Poisoned Lies)_

Olivia rolled over and opened her eyes. She hadn't been sleeping well lately. She had so much on her mind and Elliot had insisted on her staying at his place until the media swarm had died down a little bit. It was nice of him to offer, but she always had trouble sleeping in new places.

She exhaled and sat up to look at the clock. It was just after three o'clock in the morning. She laid in bed staring up at the ceiling for a little while thinking about her daughter. What did Emily think of her? Did she even know that the people who were raising her were not her parents? And if Olivia did find her, what was so going to do? She couldn't very well jerk a child away from the only parents she has ever known. None of this was in any way Emily's fault, yet she seemed to be the biggest victim here.

Olivia rolled over to stare at the moonlight through the window. Did she even want custody of Emily if she did find her? Her life was not exactly fit for a child. The crazy hours at work and dangerous cases. Not to mention the fact that she was pulling Emily from a home with a mother and a father and bringing her here, to a single parent home. Of course she wanted her. Emily was her child, her flesh and blood and they deserved the chance to be together. She wanted her daughter home more than anything in the world. She would do anything to bring her home, even if it meant changing everything else in her life. This was her child.

But these people who had raised the girl all of this time were not going to give her up without a fight. Being the biological mother may give her a pretty good chance at winning a custody battle in court. She never gave the baby up, she was stolen from her mother hours after birth. Surely any judge and jury could understand Olivia's want to bring her home. But is it in Emily's best interest? And what if they don't like the fact that she is single? Emily would be moving from a loving stable environment to Olivia's world, which is anything but stable.

Assuming, that is that she is in a loving and stable home now. God Olivia hoped she was. That she has been happy and safe and healthy all of these years. That she was with parents, two parents, who loved her and protected her and provided for her.

Olivia began to cry as she held tight to her pillow. Maybe she was better leaving things the way they were. Any way she went about this, Emily was going to get hurt. The last thing in the world she ever wanted was to cause her child pain.

Maybe it would be best if they just found her and made sure she was safe and loved. Then Olivia could just walk away. Knowing that her child was well taken care of. And was better off than she would have been if Olivia had raised her. She felt her heavy eyes shut and she soon was asleep once more.

The next day at work was a crazy one. A woman claiming to be one of the nurses involved had turned herself in. Elliot and Olivia were assigned to sit in on the interrogation. Olivia had a million questions, but sat quietly unable to speak. Elliot took the lead in the interview as Olivia took down notes of the woman's testimony. About half way through the woman looked up at Olivia and said something strange. Something that caught Olivia's attention.

"She had your eyes," the woman said staring at Olivia waiting for her to respond.

Olivia swallowed hard and stared at her notebook. This woman was probably just trying to get a reaction from her. They weren't even sure that any of the information she had given in her statement was true. And she sounded a bit crazy.

"Who might that be?" Olivia asked with a straight face not willing to fall into the woman's trap.

"Your daughter. Your baby girl."

"I don't have any children," Olivia said calling the woman's bluff. She stacked her files and turned to walk toward the door as the woman began to speak once more.

"January 23, 1997. You had a little girl. She was premature. Four pounds, two ounces."

"You crazy bitch," Olivia said turning to look at the woman.

Elliot grabbed Olivia and pulled her away as she moved toward the woman.

"Get control of yourself Liv. You are giving her exactly what she wants."

Olivia took a deep breath and nodded. Elliot released her arm and turned to look at the woman.

"Where did you get that information?"

"It's true. Ask her," the woman said pointing at Olivia. "The poor little thing barely even cried."

Olivia covered her ears and closed her eyes. She didn't want to hear any more of this woman's poisoned lies.

"You could have gotten that information anywhere. What did you do? Somehow get a copy of her file."

"I know because I was there. I wan in that room when the baby was born."

"And of all of the babies you say you helped steal….of all of the babies you sold, you remember this one? Why should I believe you?"

"I don't care if you believe me or not. I am telling you the truth. This one haunted me. Emily, she just sort of stuck with me. What we did to you was wrong," she said looking at Olivia.

"But what you did to all of these other couples wasn't wrong? You stole their babies and ripped apart families."

"But it was different with her, with Emily. She didn't meet the criteria. Until that point we only took babies from mothers who already had children. From couples who already had a family. And we sold them to coupled who couldn't have one. Married women who already had children."

"Then why did you take my baby?" Olivia turned with tears streaming down her face. "Why didn't you just leave us alone?"

"I got in trouble with you. I handed you the baby. I felt so guilty about what we were doing. You looked so afraid and so worried. I wanted you to get to hold her, just once before you lost her. He beat the hell out of me for that."

"Why me? I was a single mother and she was my only child."

"He was desperate. We had already sold a baby to this wealthy couple. But the baby died. Some weird complication during delivery. I had to find a replacement immediately. I was working at your doctors office when you came in the day before. I saw your sonogram. You were having a healthy baby girl. But I couldn't wait for her, we needed her then."

"Oh my God," Olivia said softly. "How did you know that I would have her early?"

"Because I induced your labor. The shot I gave you was not B 12. It was a Pitocin, saline mixture. Pitocin is used to induce women all of the time, usually through an IV drip. I knew you would have the baby within twelve hours. You left and I called the doctor. He called the ambulance company for your district and told them that you were his patient. You were a single woman and due to go into labor at any time. He told them to call him when they got the call. You called the ambulance, they called him, he arrived at the hospital and told them he was your doctor. They let him right in. This was not the first time we had done this. There were dozens of babies before Emily and dozens after."

"Where is my daughter?"

"I don't know. She went to a couple in Long Island. He was a doctor of some kind. That is all I know."

Olivia took a deep breath and walked out of the room. She stumbled to the nearest wall and slid down it to cry in the floor.

"You don't have a name?" Elliot demanded.

"We didn't use their real names. Just a case number. Every couple was known as Smith or Jones. As long as he got the cash, he didn't care."

"So some junkie could have bought that baby?"

The woman laughed. "Not at his prices. That couple paid half a million dollars for that baby. That is why he was so desperate to find a replacement when their original baby died."

"Half a million dollars for one baby and that wasn't enough to retire? He kept it up?"

"He did. I got out a few weeks later."

"A few weeks?"

"I felt bad for what we were doing."

"So bad that you had to help him steal a few more babies before you could leave?"

"He wasn't exactly happy when I told him I wanted out."

"What you boyfriend had a hold on you?"

"He wasn't my boyfriend."

"That is the only reason most people follow someone into doing things like this."

"He was my brother."

"I need his files. I need you to help me get them. We need to find these children."

"I don't speak to him. Besides you already have him in custody."

"He won't give it up. We are spinning circles here. You help us out and I will make sure to mention that at your sentencing. Help us bring these babies home."

"There was an old warehouse he used to use. It was pretty much abandon. He just put new locks on it and took it over." She scribbled down the address. "That is pretty much all I know."

"Thank you."

Elliot went to find Olivia. He knew she was in one of two places. She was either in the locker room or on the roof, where she sometimes went to be alone.

"I thought I might find you up here," he said walking out onto the roof. He slipped her coat around her shoulders and tucked her hair behind her ear. "Liv, it's freezing up here. Why don't we go somewhere we can talk and I'll buy you a cup of coffee."

"I don't know if I can do this Elliot. And even if I do, whose to say she isn't better off where she is?"

"Let's just find her," he said brushing some tears from her eyes. "Then you can decide what you want to do. First, lets just make sure she is safe."

Olivia nodded as Elliot hugged her.

"She gave us an address for a warehouse they used to use. I have some uniforms checking it out now. What do you say we go get some coffee and get warmed up, then we can head over there and see what is going on? I'm hoping if we're lucky we'll find some old files that might help us track some of these kids down. It might help us find Emily."

Elliot cupped his hands on the sides of her face and stared into her eyes.

"Elliot," Olivia whispered softly placing her hand on top of his.

"I know, Liv. Let's get out of here," he said brushing her hair from her eyes.

She nodded and they walked down to the car.


	5. 5 Without Limits

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Five: Without Limits)_

The uniformed officers were still standing around outside the warehouse when Elliot and Olivia arrived.

"What the hell is going on here?" Elliot barked at them as he climbed out of the car and approached the building.

"Sergeant, says we don't go in without a warrant," the man replied kicking some rocks across the parking lot. "You got a warrant?"

Elliot looked back at Olivia. "Get out of my way," he said storming past the uniformed officers toward the door of the building.

"Elliot," Olivia called to him as she ran to keep up with him. "He's right. We can't go in there. Not without the warrant."

Elliot said nothing but walked around to the back of the building to climb up on some old oil drums and peer through some windows.

"What do you see?"

"File cabinets. Rows and rows of file cabinets." He jumped down and stacked a few old milk crates on the barrel then climbed back up again.

"Elliot?"

"I think I can get in through this window. The latch is broken and it looks like someone has been climbing in this way to get out of the cold." he tossed his phone to Olivia and took off his jacket so that he could fit through the small opening.

"What are you doing?"

"You call Alex and get her on that warrant. I'm gonna take a look."

"Elliot, anything you find wont be submissible in court. We have to wait."

"I think I can squeeze through, but it's going to be kind of tight."

Olivia took a deep breath and exhaled. "Elliot, wait. I'll go."

"What?"

"Let's get Alex on the phone and make sure she has secured a warrant." She looked up at the small window. "I can fit." Olivia climbed on to the barrel to look inside the dark ware house. All of the other windows were boarded up.

Elliot looked at her, then back at the window. She was right, she had a much smaller build than he did and should fit through the window without any trouble. But he wasn't sure exactly how comfortable he was sending her in there alone.

"I don't know, Liv."

"You don't think I'll fit?"

"I know you'll fit. I don't know if I want you going in there alone."

"I can take care of myself, Elliot. I don't need a babysitter."

"Shit Olivia, if you get in there and get into trouble I am stuck out here until someone arrives with that warrant. Not to mention, both our asses would be in a sling."

Olivia looked down at him from the barrel and smiled.

"What?" He asked.

"That has never stopped you before. Are you losing your edge, Detective Stabler?" Olivia smiled a mischievous smile as Elliot pulled his phone from the pocket of his jacket that had been laid across one of the barrels.

"Alex, that warrant I called you about earlier, where exactly are we on that? We do? Okay, great."

Elliot closed his phone and climbed onto the barrel beside Olivia. He inspected the window once more, pulling at one of the old boards until it busted in half widening the space a little.

"If I give you a boost, do you think you can reach that latch and open the other window?"

Olivia stared in and looked over at the latch for the next window down. It appeared to be a little wider than the one she was about to enter. Wide enough for Elliot to enter.

"I can get it. If I go in here and crawl across the ledge, I can open that window from the inside."

The floor of the warehouse was under ground level. So where they stood ten feet from the ground on the outside of the building was closer to thirty feet to the concrete floor on the inside.

"God be careful, Olivia."

"I can do this," she said confidently. "Just give me a boost."

Elliot lifted her until she was able to reach the opening. She maneuvered her small waist enough to slide through the window.

"I'm in," she said as Elliot stood to look in at her through the window.

"Here," he said handing her a small flashlight. "Carefully, move down and open the latch. We can use that beam to climb down."

Olivia nodded and moved toward the window a few feet away. Elliot moved down on the outside of the building and pulled on the boards over the window until they practically crumbled, falling apart in his hands. Olivia opened the latch and helped Elliot inside.

"If we can get across this beam and into that office over there we can take the stairs to the floor," he suggested.

Olivia placed the small flashlight between her thumb and pointer finger to hold it as she began her journey across the beam. The makeshift office was composed of four walls, but had no ceiling. Once across the twelve foot of beam that would put them over the office, they could jump down safely. Getting that far however, was proving to be a much tougher task than either of them had estimated.

Olivia went first. Once she was a few feet out, Elliot moved in behind her. He stayed close enough he could reach her if she needed help, but far enough back that they didn't put their weight too close together on the beam.

Half way to their destination, Olivia's pant leg snagged on a splinter of wood causing her to lose her balance and fall over the edge. Just as she had started to slip Elliot reached for her grabbing her forearm as she looked below her and watched the flashlight fall, crashing to the floor.

Olivia gasped as she slipped a little more and stared up at Elliot above her.

"I've got you," Elliot tried to assure her. Though his heart was pounding feeling her slipping in his fingers and was also trying to assure himself.

Elliot could only hold her with one arm, his other wrapped tightly around the beam and held them both to it. She slipped again sliding a few more centimeters as he gripped his fingers tighter around her wrist.

"El," she gasped looking down as her feet dangled below her, "I'm slipping."

"Olivia, look at me. I won't let you go. You fall, I fall."

He could tell she was terrified. The truth was he had never been more scared of anything in his life. He had to pull her up. He could never live with himself if he let her fall. It was his fault she was even in here. If hadn't been for him, she would have been perfectly content waiting outside for the uniformed officer to return to the courthouse and bring back the warrant from Alex. He had to make this right.

"Liv, look at me."

She shifted her eyes to look into his and he could see her fear.

"I'm going to try to pull you up. But I can only use one arm. If I let go with the other, we'll both go down. When I pull you up grab my wrist with your other hand."

"I can't reach."

"Yes, you can."

Olivia turned to look below her.

"Don't look down. Look at me."

She looked back up at Elliot's eyes.

"One, two, three." Elliot pulled his arm upward and she was able to get a better grip on his hand. "Good girl. Now we're gonna do it again. This time I am going to try and swing you up more and see if you can grab the beam."

"Okay."

"One, two, three." Elliot swung her body weight as he raised her until she could reach the beam.

Olivia held tight to the beam as Elliot reached to grab her leg and pull it over the beam. She wrapped her arms around it tight and closed her eyes and just breathed. Elliot moved in beside her and put his arm around her as he gently kissed the back of her head.

"Are you okay?"

"I'll be alright," she said softly. She raised her head to look ahead of them. "Just a few more feet," she said as if she were trying to convince her body to move again.

"We're almost there."

Olivia took a deep breath and the crawled slowly the rest of the way. Once they were over the office they dropped down to a desk below them. She climbed down and moved toward the door.

"Olivia, wait." She turned and looked back at him. "Just sit for a minute and relax." Elliot guided her to sit in the chair beside the desk. "Are you sure you're okay?"

"Elliot I'm okay. These pants are ruined and I dropped the flashlight."

"I swear I just felt your shoulder pop out of socket."

"I'm sure I'll be a little sore later, but I'm okay."

Elliot stared into her eyes and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear.

"That was close," he said and she could see the tears welling up behind his eyes.

Olivia smiled and placed her palm against his chest as she looked into his worried eyes.

"We'd better get going before they get in here."

"Yeah," Elliot answered opening the door for her.

They followed the stairs down to the floor, feeling their way in the dark until they reached the file cabinets.

"Here," Olivia said as she picked up the flashlight from the floor and tapping it against her palm until it began to glow again. "Still works."

She shined it up above her head looking at the distance between the beam above her and the place where it had landed on the concrete floor. She gulped as she realized how close she had been to falling herself.

"Liv, shine the light over here."

She pointed the light at the drawers of the cabinets as they tried to figure out where to begin looking for Emily's file.

"They are not by letter. Just these numbers."

"Birthdates. The day first, then the month and the year. Three months in each drawer. And some of them have the same codes but the letters at the end are different."

"The hospital where the babies were born. The son of a bitch catalogued them."

"She has to be here, Elliot."

"Olivia, there are two dozen file cabinets in here. We don't have time to look through them all."

"She was born January 23, 1997. You take that side and I'll take this side. We have come too far to give up now."

"You're right."

They skimmed down the rows of cabinets trying to find the one that would contain Emily's file.

"Olivia. This is it, but it's locked."

"Let me see that." She pulled one of the bobby pins that was securing her bangs in place and placed the end of it in her mouth. "Hold the light," she said as she bit the plastic coated tips off the pin and bent it to fit into the lock.

"You know this is illegal?"

Olivia just stared at him. "And breaking and entering isn't?"

"Good point."

"Got it," she said slipping the pin into her pocket.

They flipped through the numbered files. Each case marked only by a number and not a name. Anything in this cabinet that could possibly help them would have to be carefully decoded first.

"This guy sure knew how to cover his tracks."

"What is that?" Olivia asked picking up a folder in the front that held information on the hospital and the parents the babies were sold to. "He made a small fortune selling these babies."

"That woman said that he got half a million dollars for Emily."

"If I had half a million dollars I would buy her back."

"I know. We're gonna get her back, Liv."

Just then they heard the banging against the front door as the men outside tried to get in.

"They must be here with the warrant."

"And how are we going to explain our already being inside?"

"I didn't think that far ahead in my little plan. I guess I somehow thought once we got inside and found the evidence the breaking in part wouldn't matter anymore."

They turned to look toward the door as they heard the banging again.

"We have to hide, Liv."

Olivia tucked the file back into the cabinet and slammed it shut as Elliot pulled her by the hand into a dark corner of the room, under the stair case.

They remained hidden quietly as the men busted into the warehouse and moved to check out the cabinets. While the officers were busy trying to open the cabinets Elliot guided Olivia by the hand back toward the door. Just as they were about to pull it off, Cragen stepped into the warehouse in front of them.

"Where the Hell have you two been?"

"What? We were just…." Olivia pointed behind her as she stuttered.

"We noticed some boards broken from the windows outside. It looks like we might have squatters. We were looking for evidence."

Cragen looked them over then stared down at the torn cuff on Olivia's pant leg. "I want to talk to both of you, now!" He walked toward the back of the building. "You wait here," he said pointing at Elliot as he escorted Olivia by the shoulder.

Olivia followed Cragen a few feet behind the building next to where she and Elliot had climbed inside.

"Are you insane? Do you want to blow this entire investigation?"

"I don't know what you are talking about," she replied.

"Don't be coy with me! You and I both know that you and Elliot were already inside this building, before that warrant arrived! Do you realize that anything we may find now could be useless? That all of this work may have been for nothing? All because you and your partner took it upon yourselves to go against protocol and enter the building before the warrant was in hand!"

"We didn't…"

"I would think long and hard about your next few words before you say them Detective Benson. I found Elliot's jacket right there on those barrels that the two of you used to climb in through that window. And I'm betting that if I were to dust, I would find your finger prints all over the glass panes on the inside and outside of the window and the locks as well. Now do you really want to stand here and tell me that you were not inside this building before we opened the front door?"

Olivia stared at him for a moment.

"It was my fault. I went in. Elliot only came in after me. He did it because of me."

"Detective Stabler is a grown man and he knew the consequences before he chose to enter the premises."

"Please don't do this to him. Do whatever you want to me. But you know as well as I do that he never would have gone in, if I wasn't already inside. I didn't move until we had conformation from Alex that the warrant was in her hand and on its way here. You told him to stay with me. He was just trying to do his job. It was my fault. Don't punish him for my mistake."

"Olivia, I understand that you have a personal interest in this case. And I understand why you did what you did. But you very well could have blown this entire case. This is about dozens of children. One of which happens to be yours. I can't just let this go. I'm going to have to take you off the case. And you're suspended, with pay until this investigation is complete. I never should have let you in on this case in the first place. I should have pulled you the moment I found out you had personal involvement. I need you to turn in your badge and weapon."

Olivia took a deep breath as she felt the tears welling up in her eyes.

"And Elliot?"

"Detective Stabler, is going to be placed on probation until our investigation into this case is finished. He messes up again and I will have to suspend him as well."

She pulled her gun from the holster and her badge from her belt and handed them to him, then turned to walk away.

"Olivia, I am letting you both off easy. What you did could have ruined this case in court. That man could have walked because of your actions here today."

She walked past Elliot and toward the car.

"Liv? What's going on?"

"He knows," she said as she kept walking past him.

Elliot walked back to take his turn with Cragen.

That night Olivia stood looking out from her roof top.

"Hey," she heard from behind her.

"Hey," she said softly with a smile as she turned to face Elliot.

"I brought beer," he said handing her a bottle.

"Thanks."

"How bad is it?"

"I'm suspended, with pay until the investigation is over or the case is closed. You?"

"I've been warned."

Olivia laughed.

"Olivia, I'm sorry."

"Don't be. Suspended with pay. It's kind of like paid vacation. Stay up late and drink beer, sleep late the next morning. Elliot, I knew it was wrong when I did it. I just didn't care."

"This is my fault. All of this. It was my stupid idea to go in. I got you in trouble and I almost got you killed."

"I'm still here," she said with a sly smile.

"Yes, but you almost weren't. How's your shoulder? I still swear I felt it as it popped out of place."

"It's a little bruised. I'm sure I'm gonna feel like shit in the morning. But the good news is that I can rest up and I will be fine."

"I'm sorry we weren't able to get what we needed from that file. If we had just been able to locate a list…"

Olivia took a drink from her beer and reached into the pocket of her jacket and handed him a slip of paper.

"What is this?"

"I must have forgotten to put it back into that file. I found it in my bra when I got home."

"You _found_ it in your bra, huh?"

"We had gone too far to turn back. Risked too much to walk away with nothing."

Elliot opened up the paper. It was the list they had been looking for. A list of the babies that were sold around the time that Emily would have been sold and the names and addresses of the people who bought them.

Somewhere on this list was the family who bought Olivia's daughter.

"So now that I am suspended and you have been warned…."

"Get some rest. We'll start at the top of the list in the morning."

Olivia smiled at him.

"You are still going to help me?"

"Of course."

"Why? You are risking so much. If you get caught, Elliot, Cragen will have your job."

"Because," he said scooting in next to her to look into her eyes, "I have your back. And I know with out a doubt that if she were one of my children you would be right there beside me, fighting to find her and bring her home. You are my partner and best friend and I love you. There is no limit to the things I would do for you."

Olivia smiled.

"So, I'm starving. We have beer, we should order a pizza."

"Yeah. Who's paying?"

"I'm pretty sure it's your turn."

"Somehow it always ends up being my turn," Elliot said as she smiled at him and they headed back inside the apartment.


	6. 6 The Search For Emily

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Six: The Search For Emily)_

That night after Elliot left her apartment, Olivia had laid in bed for almost two hours unable to sleep. It was the first night since this had all began that she was alone and her restless mind wouldn't allow her to sleep. She took a deep breath and looked up at the shadows on the ceiling. She couldn't take it anymore.

She sat up on the edge of the bed and decided to take a walk to clear her mind. Usually she went running in the mornings, but lately there were reporters camped outside her apartment building day and night making this difficult. She slipped into a pair of blue jeans and pulled a hooded sweatshirt over the tank top she had wore to bed. She grabbed her keys and took the elevator to the lobby. But as the door opened she noticed a strange man reading a newspaper who appeared to be waiting for someone. What the Hell was he doing here at nearly two o'clock in the morning?

Olivia stepped back into the elevator, pulling the hood of her shirt up and tucking her hair into it. She stepped back out into the lobby and walked past the man, barely getting a second glance from him. She smiled as she noticed the camera bag between his feet. Amateurs, she thought to herself as she walked down the front steps of the building and past two news vans and a couple of reporters.

She walked for a while around the neighbor hood. The air was crisp and the night was cool. Winter would be here soon and before long Olivia found herself wishing she had wore more than just a sweatshirt on her walk. In about an hour she had walked nearly half way across town and found herself just a few blocks from the station.

Just then she heard thunder and it began to rain. She walked quickly toward the police station, past a few more news vans and up the front steps of the building. She pulled her hood back and attempted to shake the rain water from her hair as she stepped into the elevator. She was soaked and freezing and had left her phone at home. She pressed the button for their floor as she did every morning for the past eleven years and waited for the elevator doors to open. Inside she could dry off a little and grab a cup of coffee to get warmed up a little as she waited for a cab.

But when they finally opened she noticed a familiar form sitting by the desks.

"Elliot?" She asked as she entered the room.

Most of the lights were off and everyone had gone except for him.

"Olivia? What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same thing."

"Just trying to get a little more information on this list you found in the ware house. You are soaked."

"Yeah. I couldn't sleep. I went for a walk and it started raining."

"You walked here?"

"Yes. I mean I walked, but not here. I walked here, but I didn't set out to walk here. Yeah. I couldn't sleep."

"You must be freezing." She was rambling and he could tell by looking at her she was exhausted. "I just started a fresh pot of coffee, it should be done in a few minutes. You should change."

"Yeah," she said as she headed toward the locker room to get her work out clothes. "Wait. Shit!" She raised her palm to her forehead.

"What?"

"When Cragen suspended me, I cleaned out my locker." She laughed for a moment. "I don't have any clothes here."

"I think I have a sweatshirt in my locker." He stood and walked with her down the hall. "It isn't an entire outfit, but it's dry." He opened his locker and pulled out a zip up hooded sweatshirt. Elliot raised the shirt to his nose and smelled it. "It's not that bad. I think I just wore it as a jacket after I showered. So it doesn't smell all sweaty. You should take that wet one off," he suggested handing it to her.

"I will," she said softly staring into his eyes.

"I'll a….just get back to work."

"Thanks El," she said raising the shirt a little as he backed out of the locker room so she could change.

Olivia locked the door, just in case he wasn't the only one around. She leaned against it for a moment, then walked across the room to look into the mirror.

"Train wreck," she said as she pulled her drenched sweatshirt over her head and dropped it to the floor. She moved her fingers under her eyes wiping away the smeared eyeliner and pulled the comb from Elliot's still opened locker to try to tame her wild mane. "That's a little better," she said as she turned the metal vent of the hand dryer facing up and pushed the button to start the warm air. She leaned over it and attempted to blow dry her hair. After about five times she had gotten most of it dried. She raised her tank top and dried it off as well. She ran the comp through her hair once more and tossed it back into Elliot's locker closing it.

Olivia stood in front of the mirror and as she slipped Elliot's sweatshirt over her shoulders and zipped it up. She smiled for a moment at the familiarity as she nestled the material against her face and smelled it. She laughed a little. It didn't smell like sweat at all, but like Elliot's cologne all smooth and sexy. She picked up her wet shirt from the counter and walked back out to the bull pen.

"I made you a cup of coffee," Elliot said as he raised his head to look at her.

A smile slowly spread across his face as he watched her take the cup from him. Her hair was all wild and wavy almost like a lions mane. Her skin was glowing from the heat of the hand dryer and his sweatshirt had never looked more amazing.

"So did you fine anything out?" She asked with a brilliant smile.

"Huh? Oh, the list. Sort of."

"Sort of?"

"Well, I cross referenced each of these addresses with schools in their area to see how many of them showed children registered at a nearby school."

"That is good. That will show us how many of these kids still live at these addresses."

"Yes, but look." He clicked the mouse to bring up the information. "It also tells us the sex of the child registered and their age. We can use this to help us find Emily."

"Elliot, you are a genius!" She moved to her desk and sat down in her chair.

Elliot cleared his throat and shook his head in disapproval.

"What?" He stared at her. "Okay, fine I get it. I'm suspended. But can you print me a copy of that list?"

"Of course."

She smiled again as he pushed the button to send the document to the printer.

"But now I really should get some work done or I am never going to get out of here."

"I can take a hint," she said with a yawn.

"Liv, why don't you call a cab and head home. You are exhausted."

"I can't sleep anyway."

"Insomnia?"

"Kind of. I just can't seem to sleep."

"Why don't you take my key and go back to my place and crash. I'll be done here in an hour or so and I will head that way."

"I don't want to be alone," she confessed. "When I do sleep I have these awful dreams and….." she looked into his eyes, "it isn't as bad if I know you are there. I guess I have kind of gotten used to you being there."

"I have another idea," he said leaning in to her. "I think I can wrap things up here in about an hour. Why don't you go lay down in the cribs and wait for me. You can stay at my place tonight. In the morning we'll go check out some of the names on this list. You can relax a little and if you do fall asleep, I will wake you up when I'm finished here. If you need me, I'm just a few feet away."

She took a deep breath. She was exhausted, there was no doubt in her mind.

"Okay," she said without the protest he expected.

Elliot walked her back and watched as she laid across a bottom bunk.

"I'm just down the hall."

"Thanks, El."

"You're welcome, Liv."

Elliot returned to his desk and continued his work. Before he knew it hours had past and it was nearly five o'clock in the morning. He stood up and stretched, then headed down the hall to check on Olivia.

She was laying on her side and he could see her face as he walked in. She was in a completely different position than she was when he had left her earlier and he could tell that she had tossed and turned until she finally just passed out. Elliot smiled and leaned in closer to her as he pulled the thin blanket up around her shoulders. His eyes traced the lines of her face. Each strand of her hair as it laid on the pillow, down her forehead and the curve of her nose. She was beautiful and looked so peaceful.

His eyes moved over her, memorizing the way she looked right now. So still, almost as if she had been staged this way. He watched the rise and fall of her chest and thought about how lucky he way that he hadn't lost her back in the ware house.

"If you fall, I fall." His own words echoed in his mind as he wondered what he would have done if she had fallen. Honestly, he was pretty sure he would have gone down as well trying to save her. He wouldn't give up on her. Ever. He couldn't. Somehow there was a force inside him that was compelled by her.

Elliot smiled as his eyes reached her fingertips. "Maroon nail polish?" He whispered reaching to touch the dark polish on her fingernails. He shook his head and turned to walk away.

"I was bored," she whispered.

Elliot smiled again then turned to look back at her.

"Bored and I couldn't sleep. There was nothing on television." She stretched and moved her arm under her head then stared into his eyes. He had never felt more attracted to any woman in his life, then he did to her right now. "Are you finished, yet?" She said softly.

"Almost."

"Stay with me," she whispered through a yawn. She patted the bed beside her and Elliot lowered himself onto it. "Just until I fall asleep," she said staring at him with her chocolate eyes.

"Yeah," Elliot said refusing to blink. Part of him was afraid that if he did she wouldn't be there anymore and he wasn't finished staring at her just yet. He watched her in amazement, hypnotized as he gazed into her eyes. He tried to remember just when it was that Olivia had transformed from the plain old normal best friend he had worked with every day for years, to this exotic beauty that now laid beside him.

Olivia smiled as she watched him staring into her eyes. "Tell me what you're thinking," she said softly.

"How beautiful you are." The words were out before he had even realized he was speaking. Elliot smiled a goofy smile and couldn't believe he had actually told her what he was thinking. "You?"

"How lucky I am to have a friend like you. You are the only reason I have come as far as I have in this investigation, Elliot. Without you, I would still be sitting at home mourning the loss of my child. But you helped me to move forward and now I know she is alive and she's out there somewhere. And we are going to find her."

Elliot raised his hand uncontrollably to comb his fingers through her hair. He had settled against the same pillow she used and the curve of his body were a mirror image of hers. In this position their noses rested only centimeters apart. He stared into her eyes wanting so badly to kiss her. Right here, right now, in this room, in this moment, just press his lips against the full and luscious redness of hers. And see what happened next. But he was under her spell and he couldn't move. Instead, he just laid there and stared deep into the universe of wonder and amazement he found in the darkness of her eyes. Before long they had fallen shut and she was asleep again. Elliot watched her as she slept.

A couple of hours had passed when he opened his eyes to the sound of voices in the next room. Olivia still laid asleep in front of him. Elliot climbed from the little bed and pulled the blanket up around her. He moved back down the hall toward the locker room where he splashed water on his face before returning to his desk. It was almost eight o'clock and he hadn't yet finished the report Cragen had asked him to have turned in by first thing this morning. Elliot worked quickly to finish it and hit print just as Cragen stepped off the elevator and walked toward his office.

"Here it is," Elliot said handing the pages to his boss.

"Do you often wear the same clothing to work two days in a row?" Cragen asked.

"Actually, I didn't leave. I have been here all night trying to get some work done."

"You sleep?"

"I caught a nap in the cribs. Cup of coffee and I am good to go," Elliot said moving toward the coffee pot to start a fresh pot.

A few minutes later Cragen approached Elliot as he poured a cup of coffee. "Detective Stabler, would you mind telling me why exactly Detective Benson is asleep in the cribs when she is on suspension until further notice?"

Elliot stared at him and couldn't think of a lie he would go for, so he just told the truth.

"She didn't want to be alone. She has reporters camped outside her apartment and she doesn't want to be alone."

"She isn't even supposed to be here. I don't want her doing any work at all, especially on this case!"

"She didn't do any work at all. I swear. You can check the surveillance tapes. She sat here and we talked for a couple of hours. Then she went back there to wait for me to finish and she fell asleep. By the time I finished it was so close to time to come back in so I want back and took a nap. I'll wake her and get her out of here."

"No, let her sleep. I know she hasn't slept since this thing started. But I am holding you responsible for her actions. I don't want her so much as even answering a phone or writing on a post it note. She is on suspension. I don't want her reading the files either or you telling her the information we gather. I find out you are, you're off the case. You understand me?"

"Yup."

A little while later returned to the cribs. Olivia opened her eyes to find him sitting on the edge of the bed holding her coffee cup.

"I brought you some breakfast."

"Ummm," she said taking the cup from him and smelling the coffee. She took a sip to the dark liquid as she sat up to lean back against the wall. Elliot slid back to sit beside her. "What time is it?"

Elliot looked down at his watch. "Almost eight thirty."

"I'd better get out of here before Cragen finds out I was here."

"Too late," Elliot replied as her eyes raised to meet his.

Olivia winced. "Was it bad?"

"A little. It's okay now. But he made me swear not to share any of the information we find about the case with you."

"Great."

"I figure, you and I will just have to continue our own investigation. Starting with this," he pulled the folded list from her pocket.

Olivia smiled.

"I weeded out all of the families who have male children. That leaves us six to question."

"You're amazing. You know he's gonna kick your ass?"

"He can fire me if he wants to. At least you'll have your daughter back."

Olivia smiled again and hugged him.

"Now get up so we can go get some breakfast. I'm starving."

She looked at him and smiled.

"I know, it's my turn to buy," he said and Olivia laughed.

That afternoon as they pulled up in front of the fourth house on their list Olivia exhaled deeply and stared out the window.

"You okay?"

"I don't know."

"You don't know if you're okay?"

"I don't know if I can do this again, Elliot." She turned to look at him with tears streaming down her face. "I get my hopes up to go in and find that it is just the wrong child and I am let down again."

"Liv, there are only two more after this one. You can do this. You want to find her, right?"

"More than anything. I just don't know if I can take that disappointment again."

"I'll tell you what. Since we are already here, I'll go in. You wait here. If I find something, I will let you know. If not, then we will start again tomorrow with the two houses we have left on the list."

"I'm just so afraid that we are not going to find her, Elliot."

"I know sweetheart. But we know we wont if we give up the search."

Elliot reached to wipe the tears from her eyes, then climbed out of the car. Olivia watched as he walked across the street and knocked on the door. A few minutes later he disappeared around the back of the house.

She must have dozed off, because she jumped half startled when Elliot opened the car door about ten minutes later and climbed inside. He started the car and put it into gear.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Elliot, did you find anything out?"

"Sort of."

"I hate it when you do that!"

"I know," he said looking at her with a goofy grin.

"That was them? Those are the people who have Emily?"

"No."

He watched as a look of disappointment started to spread across her face and he couldn't keep up the charade any longer. He drove a few more blocks and pulled the car over so they could talk.

"Liv, that wasn't Emily's parents house. But I spoke to the grandmother of the little girl who used to live there."

"Used to?" She looked worried, almost heartbroken as the fear that something had happened to her child was clearly written across her face.

"There was a car accident seven months ago."

"Oh my God," she gasped.

"Doctor Foster and his wife Claire were killed. They were on their way to pick their daughter Sarah up from school when it happened."

"She wasn't in the car?"

"No."

"But it could still be the wrong girl."

"I don't think so Olivia," Elliot said pulling the a photograph of Sarah Foster from his jacket.

Olivia stared down at the picture. She was a beautiful girl with long brown hair and dark eyes. Olivia's eyes.

"Sarah Foster is Emily Benson," Elliot said as Olivia looked up at him in tears. "She looks just like you Liv."

Olivia gasped through tears. She couldn't even speak. Every moment of her life until had built up to this one second when she knew with out a doubt that her child existed somewhere in this world and she would bring her home.

"Where is she?" Olivia asked.

"She stayed with the grandmother until she had a stroke. She seams to be alright now, but social services said she wasn't fit to care for the child and took her. The grandmother gave me the name of the case worker. She sets up visits for Emily….Sarah and her grandmother twice a month. She can tell us where your daughter is."

"So where are we going?"

"To her office," Elliot said as he handed Olivia the business card with the woman's office address on it.

"You found her?"

"We found her," he said tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "And now, we're going to get her back."

Olivia smiled as she leaned across the car and kissed Elliot's forehead.

"I won't forget this as long as I live, Elliot Stabler." She smiled through her tears.

Elliot wiped her tears away once more. "Let's go talk to this case worker."


	7. 7 An Act Of Desperation

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Seven: An Act Of Desperation)_

Olivia sat in front of the desk staring at the name plate with the gold etched lettering. Elliot was running the show this time and she was along for the ride. If Cragen found out she was even here, there would be no way she could dig herself out of the shit she would be in. But she couldn't just sit in the car either. This child, was her child. The baby stolen from her arms nearly twelve years earlier. And she was going to do whatever it took to bring her child home. Even if that meant losing her job.

She pressed her lips together and fidgeted nervously in her chair as Elliot tried to reason with the woman.

"I understand your situation, Detective Stabler. But my job is to protect these children. I cannot release any information to you about Sarah Foster until you can produce a warrant for the information. You show me that and I will gladly help you with what ever you need. My hands are simply tied."

"I will be back with that warrant."

"And when you are I will me more than happy to assist you. But until then…."

Olivia's eyes shifted to the picture frames on the woman's desk. She picked one up staring at the blue eyed little boy in it as Elliot opened the door to leave.

"You have children?" She noted aloud.

"Yes. That is my son Joshua," she said with a smile, "he is three." She handed Olivia another frame containing a picture of both of her children. "And this is his sister Caitlyn, she will be seven in March."

"They are beautiful. You have a very lovely family," Olivia replied.

"Thank you, Detective Benson, my children are my world."

Olivia smiled a warm smile as her eyes shifted to look at the woman.

"Could you imagine if one day they were just gone. For years everyone told you that they were dead and you would never get them back, never see them again."

The woman scoffed and jerked the frame from Olivia's hand.

"Just to find out nearly twelve years later that they were stolen from you and sold to the highest bidder. That your children were not dead, but alive and only miles from you the entire time. Wouldn't you want them back? Wouldn't you want someone to help you to find them? To be reunited with them? To know they were safe and hold them again? Sarah Foster is my child! She was ripped from my arms minutes after her birth by a doctor who told me hours later that she was dead. That man sold my baby, my daughter to the Fosters. And now my baby is out there somewhere and I cannot find her without your help. I am asking you, from one mother to another. Help me find my daughter."

By the time Olivia finished her little monologue she and the woman behind the desk were crying. And though he would never admit it, Elliot himself became a little misty eyed as well.

"I'd like to thank the academy," Elliot mocked her as they walked out to the car.

Olivia looked down at the address on the paper in her hand. "Hey, that was real. It was all real. Besides, it worked didn't it? If she needed to see a desperate mother begging for help, that was what I was going to give her as long as I got what I needed."

"How did you do that?"

"I took a couple of acting classes in college. I needed the elective credits and the professor was hot. We learned how to channel our emotions into our character. The emotion was real, so it wasn't hard to slip into it. I just took everything I was feeling on the inside and brought it to the outside."

"Damn Sybil," Elliot said with a smile. He rubbed her shoulders. "You okay? It really is a little scary how you can just slip in and out of the emotion like that. You know, we really have not talked much about this. About how you feel. It might help to just get everything out. It isn't healthy to just hold in emotion like that."

"I'm okay, Elliot. I mean it hurts. And I am still so afraid of all the bad things that could keep me from getting my daughter back. But I will never stop fighting for her. I will never give up. I am only a victim as long as I allow myself to be one."

"That's my girl. Now lets go see if we can meet miss Emily."

"Sarah."

Elliot turned his head and looked into her eyes.

"Her name is Sarah, now."

Elliot nodded his head in agreement.

"You know the funny thing about that? Sarah was one of the names I had picked out for her when I was pregnant. But I decided, just a few days before I had her that I like the name Emily better."

"Then she ended up being a Sarah anyway." Elliot smiled and shook his head.

"What?" Olivia asked.

"I still cannot imagine you pregnant. Did you have a big baby belly?"

"I got huge." Olivia held her arms out mimicking a large belly. "And she was still five weeks premature."

"You ever think about having more kids?" He asked before he could stop himself.

"Sometimes. I would just like to get this one back first."

Elliot smiled and opened the car door for her.

"Let's go find your daughter."

They drove several miles into a suburb and pulled up in front of a school.

"The Jensen family's house is three blocks from here, but she would be in school right now. How do you want to do this?"

"I want to go running in there and grab my child and take her home with me and hold her and never let go. Obviously, that is not an option."

Olivia tipped her head to look at him.

"I don't want to scare her, Elliot. The Fosters were killed in a car accident on their way to pick her up from school. If we show up now she is going to assume something is wrong with the Jensen's. She will be so scared. I can't make her go through that again."

"So…do you want to maybe go grab a quick lunch and give her time to get out of school. Then we can go to the house."

"Where are the foster parents right now?"

"Scott and Mary Jensen," Elliot looked down at the face sheet the woman had given them on the foster parents. "Says dear old dad runs a lumber yard a few miles outside of town and mommy is a homemaker."

"Mary Jensen is not her mother. I am her mother."

"I'm sorry, Liv. I was just playing around. I wasn't thinking."

She took a deep breath. "I'm sorry. I know you didn't mean anything by it. I didn't mean to snap."

"I know that." The car was quiet for a moment. "Hey, you know I would never do anything I thought would hurt you, right?"

"Yeah, I know."

Elliot brushed her hair from her eyes.

"So, what would you like to eat?"

"Coffee is fine with me. I'm not really hungry, El."

"Liv, you just picked at your breakfast. Even the pizza last night, you may have eaten two bites. When was the last time you actually ate a meal?"

"I just have so much going on. All of this. And I'm nervous. If I ate now I would probably just throw up."

"It is almost over," he said slipping his hand into hers.

"No Elliot, it is just beginning. After this we have to decide what to do. Is she going to stay with the Jensen's or come live with me? I want her. God, I want her. But I want what is best for her. Even if that isn't me."

"Why don't we go visit Mrs. Jensen and explain to her what is going on. Maybe she can call her husband and we can all sit down and work something out. Sarah will be getting home from school in a couple of hours. Then we can meet her. I agree with you. We need to do this in the most non-threatening way we can. This child has already gone through more than any kid should ever have to. She lost her parents and was taken from her grandmother and placed into foster care. Now she is about to find out that the parents that raised her, really weren't her parents at all. That her mother is alive and has come for her. That is a lot to deal with for an adult, let alone a twelve year old kid."

"She is eleven, Elliot. She won't be twelve for three more months."

"I'm sure you will have her home by then. And three months from now we will be having a birthday party and thinking back to this day."

"I hope you are right. I don't want this to be hard on her. I don't want her to have to be dragged through a custody battle like those other kids that were recovered. I would even be willing to work out some sort of visitation schedule. I just want to be in my daughter's life. I want to be her mother again. I want my child back."

"And we're gonna get her."

They drove to the Jensen residence and Mary Jensen called her husband at work and asked him to come home. She put on a pot of coffee for their guests as the four of them sat down for _the _talk. Both women cried as Olivia told her story to the couple. Scott Jensen shared with Olivia the plans he and his wife had for adopting Sarah. There was a lot to be worked out and somehow, someone was going to lose.

"It is time for me to go get Sarah from school," Mary Jensen said as she excused herself from her seat to put on her jacket and grab her keys.

Olivia felt a knot in her stomach as she stared at the floor.

"Detective Benson, Olivia, would you like to go with me?"

"You don't mind?" Olivia asked looking up at her.

"Not at all," the woman said forcing a smile and try not to cry.

Olivia looked back at Elliot.

"Go, I'll wait here with Scott. It will be alright."

Olivia nodded her head and followed Mary Jensen to her silver SUV.

They sat for several minutes outside of the school without seeing a single child.

"Are you going to take her from us?" Mary Jensen asked.

"I am not going to lie to you. I want her. She is my daughter."

"I knew it was true the moment I looked at you. She is the spitting image."

"I know you love her. And I thank God she had someone as wonderful as you and your husband to take such good care of her. I don't want to take you out of her life completely, but I do want her to come and live with me. Eventually. I don't want to just jerk her out of your home. She has been jerked around enough already. I'm thinking maybe visitations to start out. Just give her some time to get to know me. Then eventually move her in with me, in Manhattan. I thought maybe we could work out a joint custody thing. Where she can have us all in her life. I don't see any reason she can't have all of the people who love her. I don't want her to have to lose anyone else in her life."

Mary smiled. "I am just glad that you are willing to work with us. We have always love Sarah as our own child. We have only had her a matter of months, but we love her very much and don't want to give her up. I think you have the right idea. I am sure we can all sit down and work something out. We don't want to lose her either."

Mary took a deep breath and wiped her eyes.

"Here she is now."

Olivia closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She listened as Mary's car door opened and she heard a child's voice. She opened her eyes once more and turned to look at the girl.

She was a really beautiful child. Medium height and a small build. Her dark hair was long and straight. She had it pulled into a pony tail. Her big brown eyes glistened in the sunlight and she had a glowing smile. She was a happy child and the sound of her laugh made Olivia smile.

"Sarah," Mary began as the girl climbed into the back seat and buckled her seatbelt, "this is my friend Olivia."

"Hi, Olivia. It's nice to meet you."

Olivia gulped and tried to keep from crying as she stared into the little girls eyes. Her little girls eyes. "It's nice to meet you too, Sarah."

"Look Mary," Sarah said in excitement. "I got an A+ on my math test!" She passed the paper to the front of the car and smiled from the back seat. "I missed one there," she said pointing, "but I got all three bonus problems right. So, I actually got a 102 out of 103."

Olivia smiled. She had always been good at math as well.

"Great job, honey! You will have to show Scott when we get home."

"So Olivia, have you and Mary been friends for a long time?"

Olivia looked at Sarah and then at Mary.

"Umm, no. Actually we have only been friends for a little while."

"Oh. What kind of music do you like?"

"A little of bit everything. You?"

"Hmmm. I don't know, fun stuff. But, I'm not allowed to listen to rap."

"Ehh, it's over rated," Olivia said looking over her shoulder at the girl in the back seat.

"I let her listen to pretty much anything, unless the lyrics are too bad. I listen through her CD's before I give them to her. Some of that stuff just is not appropriate for kids her age."

Olivia watched through the mirror on her visor as Sarah pulled an mp3 player from her back pack and slipped in her ear buds.

"So what are you listening to now?" Olivia asked trying to keep up the conversation with the girl.

"The Black Eyed Peas."

Olivia smiled as Sarah began to hum and bounce around in her seat.

"You thought I was going to say Miley Cyrus, didn't you? That stuff is for little kids."

Olivia laughed and looked back at Mary.

Before long they had arrived back at the Jensen's house. Elliot stepped out on the porch with Scott as Olivia climbed out of the car and watched Sarah run across the drive way and into the house.

"Sarah, put away you things. Half an hour of television, then I want you to start homework."

"Okay," she called back to Mary.

Scott and Mary walked back into the house as Elliot stood on the steps beside Olivia.

"How did it go?"

"Good. She has no idea that her world is about to be turned upside down. But she likes me, so far."

"What is she like?"

"A typical eleven year old, like every other typical eleven year old. She is good at math, like me."

"She is beautiful, Olivia."

"She is, isn't she."

"She seems like a great kid."

Olivia smiled at him. "God, I don't want her to get hurt in all of this. I am about to crush her universe, Elliot. Turn her world upside down. And the last thing I ever want, is to be the one who makes her cry."

Elliot could see the tears welling up in her eyes.

"She deserves to know the truth, Olivia. I think the most important thing here is that we all just keep in mind that she is just a little girl. Try to think of things from her standpoint."

Olivia nodded. "We should get inside. I want to talk to them and figure out how we are going to break this to her. And her thirty minutes of television time would probably be the best time to discuss that without worrying about her walking in unexpectedly."

They stepped inside to discuss details with Scott and Mary. In the end they agreed that it would be best if Scott and Mary sat down and discussed everything with Sarah over the weekend. On Sunday, Elliot and Olivia would come to dinner at the Jensen's house and that would give them all time to sit down with Sarah and answer any questions she may have, together.

The Jensen's were going to contact their lawyer and set up a meeting with Olivia's about working out a custody agreement. They were all determined to settle this like adults and to keep this as easy on Sarah as possible.


	8. 8 Sunday Dinner

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Eight: Sunday Dinner)_

Sunday afternoon had finally rolled around and Olivia stood in front of her dresser mirror trying to decide what to wear to dinner at the Jensen's. She stared at the jeans and tee shirt she had on. It was a little too informal, she thought for a moment as the picked up her phone and dialed Elliot's number.

"What are you wearing to dinner tonight?" She blurted out as she heard him pick up the phone.

"What? Not hi, hello, how are you?"

"Elliot, this is important. Tonight is the first time she will see me and actually realize that I am her mother. I need this to be perfect. I need to be perfect."

"I will wear whatever you want me to. This is your big night."

"No, that isn't what I meant. I wanted to know what you were wearing, so I knew what to wear."

"Probably a black slacks and a blue shirt with a tie."

"What should I wear?" She asked placing him on speaker phone to step out of her jeans and pull her shirt over her head. She stood in her bra and panties staring into her closet. "Should I wear a dress? Or is that too formal? It is a special occasion, but it isn't a date. Or a skirt and dressy blouse? God no, that looks like I'm going to a funeral."

Elliot laughed.

"This is serious Elliot."

"I know it is. Olivia, just dress like you do for work. Dressy, but casual. Slacks and a nice sweater or something. Dress comfortably. You know you are going to be nervous."

"I'm already nervous."

"I will be there in an hour to puck you up."

She closed the phone and sat it on the dresser. The slacks were no problem. She pulled a pair of black slacks from the hanger and stepped in to them. Now,, just to find a shirt. She looked through top after top until she heard the door bell ring.

"Great," she mumbled to her self. Elliot was here already and she still wasn't ready. She pulled a tee shirt on and went to answer her door.

"You're wearing that?" He asked looking at her clothes that didn't even match.

"No, I still don't know what I am wearing."

"Come on," he said taking her by the hand and leading her to the bedroom closet. "This one is nice," he said picking up a dark gray argyle sweater.

"That isn't too drab?"

"Layer it with the white button down shirt like you do for work. It looks really nice. Dressy, but casual as well. And it looks very nice on you."

"Thanks. And my hair?"

"Down."

"Yeah, alright. I'll just be a minute," she said stepping into the bathroom to change her shirt. She stood in front of the mirror and combed her fingers through her wavy hair, then put on some small gold hoop earrings. She put on a little lipstick and blotted it, before adding just a hint of gloss and pressing her lips together. "Perfume," she said moving to the bedroom once more. She picked up each bottle from the back of her dresser and smelled it. "This one," she said aloud as she misted the light floral scent onto her body. She took a deep breath and moved to join Elliot in the living room.

"There see, you look nice."

"Thank you. You look pretty good yourself."

"Liv, are you sure you wouldn't rather me wait here?"

"No, why would you do that? Do you not want to go?"

"I want go. I feel honored just to be invited. But this is your time with your daughter. Maybe it should just be you and Sarah and the Jensen's."

"No. Elliot, please. I want you there. I am already a nervous wreck. I need you there with me. Besides, you are going to be a very important person in her life as well, I want her to get to know you and be comfortable around you. Please don't back out now."

"Oh, I'm not trying to back out. I just wanted you to know that if you would rather go alone, I understand."

"I would rather my best friend be there with me."

"Okay."

Olivia smiled.

"We should get going. It's getting late," Elliot reminded her. Olivia grabbed her car keys and handed them to Elliot and they were out the door.

At dinner everyone was quiet. The silence was uncomfortable for Olivia, who had really hoped for another conversation like the one she and Sarah had shared in the car days earlier. She stared down at her plate and stirred the food around nervously with her fork. Suddenly she felt Elliot's hand slip into hers under the table. She closed her eyes and a smile crossed her face as she felt him squeeze it gently. Olivia looked up at him as he winked at her, bringing another smile to her face.

"So," she heard Sarah begin to speak from across the table as she and Elliot both looked up at her. "If you are my mother, does that mean Elliot is my father?"

Olivia almost choked.

"Umm, no." She said clearing her throat.

"Where is he? Is he dead?"

"Sarah," Mary Jensen exclaimed.

"No, it's okay." Olivia looked into the girls eyes. "He and I were never married. He is or was a college professor. I have not seen him in years."

"Does he know about me?"

"He knew I was pregnant, yes."

"But did he ever see me?"

"No, honey. You were taken from me, just minutes after you were born."

"Didn't you want me?"

"Of course I wanted you. You were my baby, my daughter."

"Then why did it take you eleven years to find me?"

Olivia took a deep breath. She knew Sarah was smart. And she knew that eventually this exact conversation would arise. She just didn't think it would be their first conversation as mother and daughter and in front of a dining table full of people. But Sarah needed to know the truth. She deserved to know. And now was the time.

"Sarah, I would have searched forever to find you. But it wasn't until recently that I knew you were even alive. The man that took you was the doctor that delivered you when you were born. The Fosters, the parents who raised you could not have a baby of their own. So they gave this man money to get them a little girl. That doctor stole you from me while I was sleeping the night you were born. He told me that you were born sick and that you had died. Sweetheart, if I had known that you were really still alive I would have tracked you down years ago. Nothing would have kept me from finding you."

Sarah sat quietly for a minute looking as if she were about to cry. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and placed it on her plate.

"May I be excused?" She asked looking across the table at Mary.

Mary looked up at Olivia and she nodded in agreement.

"Yes," Mary answered the girl.

Sarah picked up her plate and glass and cleared her place from the table and went upstairs to her room.

"This is all too soon for her. She needs more time to adjust." Olivia said. "I never should have told her all of that."

"She asked. She wouldn't have asked if she wasn't ready to know," Elliot said looking into her eyes.

"I know Sarah. She is a strong little girl. She just needs a little time to allow this to sink in. She will come around. How about some pie and coffee? Homemade Southern Pecan?"

"That sounds nice," Elliot said softly smiling at her hospitality.

"Let me help you with those," Olivia suggested as she gathered she and Elliot's dishes and followed Mary into the kitchen. She stacked the plates in the sink and stared out the window into the back yard.

"She will come around," Mary said handing Olivia a cup of coffee. "She is a child, it takes a little time for her to adjust to big news. Especially news like this. Until last night, she thought that her parents were killed in that crash. She had no idea that they were not her biological parents."

"How did she react when you told her?"

"She was quiet for a little while. She went up to her room for a bit. Then she came in and started asking questions about you. If she was going to live with you, if we were still going to adopt her, stuff like that. She is curious, but she is also a little shy. But she is a very resilient child. I guess after what she has been through at such a tender age you would have to be."

Olivia looked down at her watch. It had now been nearly forty minutes since Sarah had gone up to her room.

"I wonder….could I maybe go up alone and try to talk to her? Just she and I. Maybe it would be easier for her to ask her questions if we had a little time alone to discuss things."

"You are more than welcome to try." Mary slid a slice of pie across the counter to Olivia as she poured Sarah a glass of milk. "Top of the stairs, second door on the left."

"Wish me luck," Olivia smiled as she walked through the living room and headed up the stairs.

Elliot sat quietly and nervously waiting.

Olivia tapped gently on the bedroom door. "Sarah, Mary made pie. I thought I would bring you some up."

"I'm not hungry, thank you."

Olivia smiled. Even upset, she was so polite.

"Okay. I was thinking that maybe I could come in and we could talk for a little while. Just you and me. Honey, I know you have questions. You can ask me whatever you want. And I will try my best to answer. Sarah, may I come in. I really want to come in and see you. But I wont come in unless you say it its okay."

It was quiet for a few moments then Sarah opened the door.

"You can come in if you want to."

Olivia smiled at her and Sarah smiled back.

"Are you sure it's okay?"

"Yeah, it's okay."

Olivia entered the bedroom and sat the plate and glass on the desk near the door. She looked around the room. There were trophies and ribbons and different awards. A keyboard in the corner and music notes painted on the walls.

"You play?" She asked pointing at the keyboard.

"I play piano. I used to do competition, but I haven't for a while now."

"You must be very good to have won all of these awards."

"I have been playing for a long time. My mother…." Sarah raised her eyes to look at Olivia as her bottom lip quivered. "I'm sorry, Claire taught me when I was three."

"It's okay, Sarah. This is all going to take a little getting used to. I know that."

"Do you want me to call you my mother?"

"If you want to. That is okay. Or you can call me Olivia or Liv."

Sarah nodded her head.

"Am I going to go live with you Olivia?"

"Eventually, yes. If you would like to. But for now, I just thought we could get to know each other a little better."

"Okay."

Olivia sat down beside Sarah on the bed as conversation unfolded. Sarah began to ask questions and open up to Olivia. And Olivia began to reveal things that she never would have thought she would. They talked about why Olivia had never married Sarah's father and where he was today. They talked about Olivia's work and her apartment. They even discussed the possibilities of a custody arrangement between Olivia and the Jensen's.

Sarah asked Olivia questions like what she was like in school. What books she liked to read and movies she like to watch. She asked her favorite color and if she had a boyfriend and why she wasn't dating anyone. And Sarah even played her a couple of songs on the keyboard.

Nearly two hours after Olivia had gone upstairs, she and Sarah returned to the living room to join Elliot and the Jensen's.

"Sarah and I were just talking upstairs and we were wondering if maybe one night this week I could pick her up and take her for dinner. Just she and I."

"I think that is a great idea," Scott Jensen stated.

"I can go?"

"Of course," he answered.

"We were also thinking maybe if things go well at dinner and Sarah is comfortable with the idea, she could spend next Saturday night with me."

"Please, Mary. I really want to. Please."

"Honey, don't you want to wait and see how things go first?"

"Well, yeah. But I'm sure they will be fine."

For the first time Olivia sensed the hesitation from Mary Jensen. This made her nervous. For some reason, Mary wasn't wanting to agree to let Olivia take Sarah over night, just yet.

"I'll tell you what Sarah, why don't we just plan on dinner for right now? And that will give everyone a little time to think more about Saturday. Maybe it is a little too soon. But I am sure we could still do something, like spend the day together."

Sarah looked heartbroken. "Okay."

Olivia smiled at her and she smiled back.

"Well honey, it is after eight o'clock. You have school tomorrow. Elliot and I should probably get going. But I gave you my phone number and I will call you every night."

"Okay. I wish you didn't have to leave."

"I know sweetheart, but I will be back soon. I promise." Olivia knelt and brushed a strand of Sarah's hair behind her ear as she watched the tears well up in the girls eyes. "Hey now, I have found you and I you are never going to lose me again. Okay?" Olivia felt her own tears rising. She wasn't ready for this night to be over, either. She placed a soft kiss on Sarah's forehead and stood to go.

"Olivia?" Sarah called to her.

When Olivia turned to face her, Sarah wrapped her arms tight around her and nestled her face against Olivia's sweater. Olivia knelt and wrapped her arms around the girl. This was the first time in nearly twelve years that she had held her daughter. She lowered her head to kiss the top of Sarah's head. Olivia took a deep breath taking in the scent of the girl. She smelled like a warm summer breeze. And it felt so good to hold her.

Olivia felt a tear roll down her cheek at the thought of leaving this place without her. She took a deep breath and regained her emotions as Sarah looked up at her, now crying.

"Hey, it's okay. Everything is going to be okay," Olivia tried to comfort her as Elliot watched his partner transform into a mother right in front of his eyes. "I'm going to call you tomorrow night. How about seven o'clock? And I want you to tell me all about your day at school. And we can talk for a whole hour if you want to."

"I love you, Olivia." Sarah said softly.

"I love you too, honey." Olivia replied with a smile as another tear fell. "And I am not leaving you. Okay? I have to go for now. But I will see you in a couple of days. You be thinking of where you want to go for dinner. I will pick you up here Wednesday after school."

"Okay," Sarah agreed. She turned and looked at Elliot. "Bye, Elliot."

"Good bye, Sarah. I hope to see you again soon."

On the way home Olivia sat quietly staring out the window into the night.

"What's on your mind, Liv?"

"I need to call a lawyer. A good one."

"Why do you say that?"

"I just have a feeling this isn't going to be as simple as it seems. Did you catch the hesitation from them when I mentioned keeping Sarah over night?"

"Liv, this is all so new on everyone. Maybe she didn't mean anything by it. Maybe she just thought it was a little early. I'll have to admit it was a bit of a shock to hear."

"Sarah asked me if she could. And I want her to. I didn't see any reason in telling her no."

"I'm just saying, they have to adjust to this, too. Maybe it is too soon for them."

"Maybe. I just think that now would be a good time to get a lawyer. I want to get in and get some sort of custody agreement down on paper and through a judge. This woman is starting to make me nervous. And there is no way she is keeping me from my child."

"I think seeing the lawyer is a good idea. Infact I can give you the name of the woman who represented me in my divorce. She does really well in custody battles."

"I am hoping that this won't become a battle."

"Yeah, but if it does you are going to need a damn good lawyer."

"You're right. The sooner I bring her in the better. I just don't want to take any chances on losing her again, Elliot."

"I know. I'll give you the number and you can call her in the morning."


	9. 9 Laying Down The Law

_**The Black Market Baby Scandal**_

_**(Chapter Eight: Laying Down The Law)**_

**Olivia had gone and seen the lawyer Elliot recommended earlier that morning. She was due to call him any time now and Elliot waited nervously at his desk. After her meeting, she was supposed to call him so that they could have lunch together and discuss what the lawyer had told her.**

**Finally his phone rang. "Stabler," Elliot said waiting to hear her voice. Normally he could tell exactly what was on Olivia's mind just by hearing her speak. But today proved to be a challenge.**

"**Hey," she said softly.**

"**Hey. How did it go?"**

"**I would rather wait and talk about it when you get here."**

"**Here? Where do you want me to meet you for lunch?"**

"**It started raining, so I just came home. I thought we could just order in and talk."**

"**Sure, I'll be there in a few minutes."**

"**Thanks, El."**

"**No problem."**

**This didn't sound good. Elliot felt a little uneasy about the way she spoke to him. She didn't really sound bad, but she didn't really sound good either. And it was her lack of emotion during their conversation that concerned him. He stacked his files and placed them back into the file cabinet, neatly. He pushed his chair in and grabbed his car keys as he slipped his jacket on.**

**Fifteen minutes later Olivia's door bell rang. She opened the door to find Elliot standing there with a small bouquet of mixed flowers and $40 worth of Chinese food. Olivia laughed and smiled at him.**

"**Flowers?"**

"**Yeah."**

"**What for?"**

"**Well, I figured you either got good news and these were to congratulate you or the news wasn't so good and you could use a little cheering up."**

**She smiled again as he handed her the bouquet.**

"**You're right. I could use a little cheering up."**

"**Eww. That bad, huh?"**

"**Not bad, I guess. But not really good either."**

**Elliot sat the food down on the kitchen counter. He pulled the little white paper boxes out and handed one to her with a pair of chopsticks. "Your favorite," he said pointing to the box. He handed her a diet soda, then picked up his food and followed her to sit on the couch. **

**Olivia exhaled deeply and tipped her head back for a moment.**

"**So was the lawyer able to help you?"**

"**Yeah, she's gonna help me. It is just all so complicated."**

"**Complicated? I figured you being the biological parent would have rights."**

"**Well, that is one thing we talked about. I have no rights at all right now, because I have no proof that she is my biological child. I have to get an order from a judge to get a DNA test to prove that Sarah is my daughter. Because she is technically a ward of the state, I have take this through court."**

"**That is insane. Look at her."**

"**I know, El. But she is right. We got so wrapped up in finding her and trying to see her that we sort of jumped the gun and skipped that very important step. I should have thought of that. I know in my heart she is mine. But there is still a small chance that she could just be a child who looks like me. God, I hope that isn't true. I love her so much already and I don't want to let her go. But I have to get that test before I can move forward."**

"**So you get the judge to sign the papers for the DNA test and you find out she is your child, then what?"**

"**Then I have to adopt her."**

"**What?"**

"**She is a ward of the state. Chances are they will place her with me temporarily and have someone check up on us for a while. Like a probation period. They will want to make sure that I can provide a safe and healthy living environment for her. Get her to school and stuff like that. They wont just place her with me, they want to make sure I can care for her first. After that I file with the agency to regain my parental rights. I have to legally adopt my own child. But once that is final, she is mine. Forever. And no one can ever take her away from me again."**

"**You weren't kidding when you said it was complicated. They are making you jump through hoops."**

"**She is worth it Elliot. There is not anything I would not do for her."**

"**What about the Jensen's?"**

"**She will remain with them until all of this goes through. My lawyer went to talk to the judge about the DNA test this afternoon. She is supposed to call me when they give her a time. The test will take a day or two to come back, they are not going to send it off. They are going to do it locally, so they can rush the results. Once those are in, she is going to contact the Jensen's lawyer and we will all meet to arrange a custody agreement to abide by until the adoption goes through. But it will be in writing and signed by the judge. So they will be forced to follow it. Right now we are waiting on the DNA test."**

**The next morning Olivia and her lawyer met up with the Jensen's, Sarah and their lawyer at a local doctor's office to be swabbed for DNA. The Jensen's were particularly upset by the demand for a DNA test. Though it was not exactly Olivia's idea, it seemed to be her they were displeased with.**

**She sat across the room next to her lawyer waiting to be called back to see the doctor. She watched as the Jensen's tried to keep Sarah from even making eye contact with Olivia. It was killing Olivia to see them like this with the little girl. She was just a child and she was caught in the middle of this grown up mess. She hadn't done anything wrong. **

"**Sarah Foster," the nurse called out into the waiting room. Olivia watched as Scott and Mary stood up with Sarah. "I'm sorry, I cannot allow all of these people back here. You can go in and that's it," the woman said pointing to the Jensen's lawyer.**

"**Come along Sarah, this will only take a minute." The woman grabbed Sarah by the hand and pulled her toward the hall leading to the examine room.**

"**I don't want to go," Sarah protested as she tried to pull away.**

"**You have to. The judge said so," the lawyer demanded tugging on her arm once more and refusing to let go.**

**Sarah began to cry. "Please, I don't want to."**

**Olivia watched almost in tears as the terrified girl cried and begged them not to make her go back. She couldn't take it anymore. Against the advice of her lawyer, Olivia stood to talk to Sarah. **

"**Sarah, it's okay. There is nothing to be afraid of."**

**Sarah stood still and stared into Olivia's eyes as she smiled through her tears. The woman pulled at her again.**

"**Can you just give her a minute?" Olivia asked looking at the woman. "Can't you see she is afraid?"**

"**The doctor has other appointments. If she is going to be a little while, Ms. Benson, are you ready?" The nurse called across the waiting room.**

"**Yes."**

"**You and your attorney may come on back. You are in room two."**

**Olivia grabbed her purse. And headed back toward the room. She looked at Sarah who was confused and looked horrified. **

"**You need to find a way to get her back here," the nurse said to the Jensen's attorney.**

"**What if I send Mary back with her?"**

"**The documents state that the attorney's are to be present at the time of the testing. To witness. Whatever you have to do to get her back here, make it quick."**

**Olivia watched as the Jensen's attorney knelt to look at Sarah, who now had tears streaming down both cheeks. "Do you want your mom to come back with you?"**

**Sarah looked at Mary Jensen and then back at Olivia. "Yes. I want Olivia to come with me," she sobbed softly. She looked up at Olivia with tears in her eyes and a look that begged her not to leave her alone in this. It was breaking Olivia's heart to watch her cry.**

"**What if she watched while they did mine? You can be right there with her. And that way it wont be so scary for her."**

**The two attorneys looked at each other and nodded in agreement. **

"**Fine, lets just get this over with," the Jensen's attorney said as Sarah pulled her hand away and reached for Olivia's.**

**Olivia knelt to look her daughter in the eye. "Is that okay with you? It wont hurt, honey. I promise. They just take a little cotton swab thing and rub it on the inside of your mouth, then it's all done. It doesn't hurt at all," she said as she wiped away the child's tears. "Are you ready?" Olivia opened her hand and offered it to Sarah.**

"**Yeah," Sarah said with a soft smile. She placed her hand inside Olivia's and took a deep breath as they walked back into the examine room. **

"**Who's first?" The doctor asked as he walked in and washed hands. He pulled on a pair of latex gloves and turned to look at Sarah and Olivia.**

"**Do you want me to go first so you can see what they do?" Olivia asked looking at Sarah. Sarah nodded her head slowly.**

**Olivia sat down on the examine table and opened her mouth as the doctor ran the swab along the inside, then placed into a container and sealed it with a sticker.**

"**See, all done. Doesn't hurt a bit."**

**Sarah smiled as Olivia lifted her to sit on the table. She tucked a strand of long brown hair behind Sarah's ear as she felt Sarah's hand slip into hers.**

"**It's gonna be okay baby," Olivia said softly as she looked deep into the little girl's eyes.**

**Sarah opened her mouth and the doctor swabbed her as well. Afterward Sarah held tight to Olivia's hand as they walked back out into the waiting room where the Foster's sat looking irritated.**

"**Our results will be in by Thursday morning, I'd like for us all to meet in my office let's say around five o'clock Thursday evening to discuss the results and work out some kind of temporary custody agreement," Olivia's attorney suggested.**

"**We'll be there," the Jensen's attorney agreed and they shook hands.**

"**Let's go Sarah," Mary Jenson said reaching for the girl's hand.**

"**I have to say good bye to Olivia," Sarah replied pulling away from her and moving across the room to hug Olivia tight.**

"**Good bye, sweetheart. I will see you again as soon as I can."**

"**I love you, Olivia."**

"**I love you too, honey."**

**Just then Mary Jensen grabbed Sarah by the hand and pulled her out the door. Olivia watched and waved back as Sarah waved to her all the way out to the Jensen's SUV in the parking lot.**

"**I wish you wouldn't encourage her," Olivia's attorney said from behind her.**

"**I can't ignore her. She didn't do anything wrong. Why should she be the one punished for any of this?"**

"**You are standing here in public, in front of the Jensen's and their attorney hugging the child and telling her that you love her and we are not even sure if she is **_**your**_** child yet." **

"**I'm sure. I just know it. I feel it. She is mine. And I wont stand here and deny that I care for her just to make them feel better about the situation. I know this is hard on them. But it is hard on Sarah and I, too. And I am sorry that they are inconvenienced by the fact that I want her back, but that is something they need to get used to. The sooner, the better. And if you are not comfortable with the way I handle myself around my child, then maybe I should seek other representation."**

**The woman stared at her stunned for a moment.**

"**Do you have children?" Olivia asked.**

"**Two."**

"**Do you hug them? And kiss them? And tell them that you love them? And comfort them when they are afraid?"**

"**Yes. All of the time."**

"**Then who are you to judge me for loving my child?"**

**The woman nodded her head. "You are absolutely right, Ms. Benson. I'm sorry. Would you like me to refer you to another attorney?"**

"**No. I have one," Olivia said with a smile as she picked up her purse to walk to her car. **

"**Five o'clock, Thursday. Don't forget," the woman called out to her.**

"**I could never forget," Olivia replied as she climbed into her car.**

**Finally it was Thursday evening and time for the meeting. Olivia sat in her lawyer's office waiting for the Jensen's and their attorney to arrive. On the conference table in front of her laid a large manila envelope with their DNA test results inside. **

**Olivia crossed her legs and waited patiently as everyone else entered and were seated around the table and her attorney began to speak. Olivia was nervous and could hear nothing until the woman picked up the envelope and began to break the seal. Then it were as if there were no other sound in the world but her voice as she read those words.**

"**The DNA samples were a match. Olivia Benson is the biological mother of the minor child, Sarah Foster."**

**Olivia could barely contain her excitement. Everything in her had told her this was her child from the moment Elliot showed her Sarah's picture. She was right. Now she had to do whatever it took to get her back.**

"**Olivia and I have discussed some ideas for a temporary custody arrangement. Since Sarah is currently attending school we think that she should remain in the Jenson home during the week for the time being. Olivia would like visitations with the child one night a week and every other weekend until this matter is settled in court. This arrangement would also include unlimited, unsupervised phone calls between Sarah and Olivia. By this I mean there are no set days for phone visitations. The calls will be placed during a reasonable hour, not after eight o'clock in the evening and not lasting more than one hour. I have typed up a list of these conditions. If this arrangement is acceptable, we can all just sign now. We are open to suggestions and negotiation. Any changes that are agreed upon in this meeting will be forwarded to my secretary and I will have the new agreement drawn up and forwarded to your office to be signed."**

**They took a short break and Olivia and her attorney stepped out of the room to allow the Jensen's time to discuss the arrangement with their lawyer. She leaned against the wall in the hallway and called Elliot.**

"**Liv, what's up?"**

"**It's a girl," she said and he could hear the smile in her voice. "I have the proof I needed. She is mine, Elliot."**

"**That's great. I knew it. But it is just a relief to know that you finally have the evidence to prove it and now you can move forward with the adoption."**

"**I am supposed to go with my attorney tomorrow afternoon to file the paperwork to proceed with the adoption. Right now we have made a suggestive custody arrangement and they are in the room with their lawyer discussing that. Then we'll go back in and if everyone agrees, we will sign it and then we will have that part worked out. Hopefully my visitations will start this weekend."**

"**Wow. That would be wonderful."**

"**Ohh, El. I have to go. They are calling me back in. I'll talk to you when I get out of here."**

"**Bye, Liv."**

**An hour later Olivia arrived at Elliot's apartment with her copy custody agreement in hand.**

"**So?"**

"**I pick Sarah up Friday evening at six o'clock and I don't have to take her back until Sunday at six o'clock."**

"**That is awesome, Liv!"**

"**God, I cannot believe that I finally get to spend time with my kid. My daughter. It just doesn't seem real."**

"**What is your arrangement?"**

"**I get her for a couple of hours one night a week. So we can go out to dinner or whatever. I get her every other weekend and I get an unsupervised one hour phone call every evening between six and eight o'clock."**

"**What are you guys gonna do this weekend?"**

"**I have no idea. I am just so excited to have her. I think maybe just some downtime. This entire thing has been so intense and stressful. Maybe this weekend we will just kind of play it by ear. I just want us to have time to relate to each other and I want her to be able to relax completely with me. I want her to allow herself to become comfortable with the apartment as well. It isn't just my space anymore, it is our home. I was also thinking that we could toss around some ideas for decorating her room. I already have the bed in there. But I figured the rest we could do together."**

"**Did she say how long the adoption part should take?"**

"**We will probably continue this for at least a few months. The court will start sending someone to observe every now and then. They will also assess the home and school I plan to put her in. After the visitation goes on like this for a little while we will transition into her staying with me and visiting with them. Probably very similar agreement, only she will be living with me full time. And as long as I can meet all of their guidelines and provide a healthy stable environment, probably in the next six or eight months the process should be complete."**

"**After you have adopted her, what happens with the Jensen's?"**

"**I don't want to take her completely away from them. They really care about her and she cares for them. So I guess as long as things go well and there are no problems with the visitations we can just use a similar arrangement to the one we have now. Only she would be with me most of the time."**

"**This is wonderful, Olivia. I am so glad that this is finally happening for you."**

"**Yeah, it only took twelve years."**

"**She's a great kid. And I have seen you with her. You are an amazing mother. I am just glad that Sarah is finally going to be able to get to know you as her mother. To actually know what it is like to have a mother again. I am so excited for you, Liv."**

"**Thank you."**

"**You're welcome."**

"**No, really. Thank you. Elliot, I never would have found my daughter if it wasn't for you. You helped me through this as a friend, but you were also the one who suggested that I look into it in the first place. And you kept me going, kept me motivated. I have my baby back because of you, Elliot. That is by far the most wonderful thing that anyone has ever done for me."**

"**We're friends Liv, it's my job to look out for you and help you find the things that make you happy in life."**

**Olivia smiled and hugged Elliot. **

"**You are a very kind person, Elliot Stabler."**

"**You almost sound surprised."**

"**No. I know you well enough to know that somewhere underneath this tough guy exterior was a wonderful, kind hearted man. I know it, because I see him so often. When it is just you and I. When no one else is around and we are just hanging out together, just two friends existing. I see him." She stared into his eyes. "This sweet, strong, dependable, incredibly romantic man that you try so hard to hide from the rest of the world. I see him. I know him. He is my best friend."**

**Elliot smiled. "I guess there a lot of things we share with each other that we hide from the rest of the world. We just kind of have this bond, Liv. I don't know what it is exactly. But I feel closer to you than I ever have anyone. And Kathy and I were married for almost twenty one years."**

"**I know what you mean. Almost like siblings, but we aren't related."**

"**We're not related, Olivia. But we are family. And I would do anything for you, I would do anything for Sarah."**

"**That's sweet, El."**

"**That is how family works, Liv. They are the people in your life you would go to the ends of the earth and back for. And I would if you asked me to. You know that, right?"**

"**I know that," she said with a smile as she squeezed his hand.**

"**We never talk about it. I mean, I know that you know that I have always got your back. But we never say it. I have never told you how much I cared about you. Maybe, we should say it. Because in our line of work, you never know if you will ever get the chance again. I love you, Olivia."**

"**Aww. I love you too, Elliot. And I cannot wait for Sarah to really have the chance to get to know you. I know she is going to love you, too."**

**Olivia laid down beside him on the couch. Her head at one end and his at the other as they watched television. Before long, they had both fallen asleep. **


	10. 10 One Step Closer

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Ten: One Step Closer)_

The last few weeks had shown much promise between Sarah and Olivia. The visitation agreement was going well but it was only after about a week that Sarah told Olivia that she wanted to come and live with her for good.

The next morning Olivia was waiting at the office door when her attorney arrived to work to start the adoption proceedings. She filed all of the paperwork and was now just waiting for a response from the judge who reviewed her case and application.

Meanwhile she and Sarah had been attending church every week with Elliot and his kids. The kids had bonded well and although the girls went to different schools and only saw each other a couple of times a month Sarah and Elizabeth had become quick friends.

Tonight was Friday and the first night of Olivia's weekend with Sarah. And Saturday night she had agreed to let Sarah have a little Halloween get together with a few friends at her apartment. She and Elliot were playing chaperone to eight teenagers Sarah had met at church and through Elliot's kids. The evening would start with a walk through a haunted house across town, then there would be costumes and music and punch on the roof under the New York moonlight.

Tonight Olivia was taking Sarah shopping for the rest of the decorations, food and a few odd and end pieces to put the finishing touches on their costumes. After that they were headed to Queens to pick Elizabeth up from Kathy's to spend the night and then to the video store and to pick up the pizza. She had been very impressed with the costumes Sarah had picked out for the both of them. And now Olivia actually found herself getting a little excited about the party.

Saturday evening came fast and Olivia was standing in her bathroom in front of the mirror when Elliot arrived. Sarah opened the door and let him in, pointing him in the direction of Olivia's bedroom.

"Liv?"

"Yeah, I'm in here."

Elliot walked into the room and stared at her. She looked so amazing.

"Not a word," she said pointing her finger at him.

"What? You look…wow."

"Sarah picked it out. But they didn't have it in small so I had to order it. This is what they sent me. I had to add two inches to the skirt, it looked like a stripper costume."

Elliot smiled as he held up his phone to snap a picture.

"Do you want me to shoot you?" She asked and he smiled.

"Oh, no. You look good. You look hot. Those little teenaged boys are going to like this."

"Oh, my god I am going to humiliate her."

"No, Liv. It is not that bad. I was just teasing you. Infact, I think you wear that costume better than Lynda Carter."

She didn't look bad, he thought. She looked amazing. She wore a Wonder Woman costume. And everything from her gold tiara with the red star to the tip to her red and white boots looked so good on her. The costume was a little more modern than the one he remembered from the television show when he was younger. She wore a shiny red tank top with the Wonder Woman logo on the front of it and a shiny blue skirt with gold stars and a gold waist band. On her wrists were Wonder Woman's trade mark silver gauntlets and clipped around her neck to drape down her back was the shiny red cape.

"You just reminded me why I loved Wonder Woman so much, this is….you look incredible."

"It isn't too much? Is my skirt too short? I feel so inappropriate."

"You look nice. Your skirt is fine and I don't think you are showing anything inappropriate. You are not even showing that much skin, Liv. And this is just a tank top."

"I just don't want these kids to think her mother is a slut. She is just starting to actually make some friends. And two of these kids live in my building. I don't want to get hateful notes from the mothers."

"You are fine. Sarah, come here," Elliot called down the hallway.

"El, what are you doing?"

"Getting a second opinion. Look I am sorry if I made you feel self conscious. You look really nice."

"The costume I purchased was not this revealing."

"I'm telling you, you are not revealing anything."

"What's up?" Sarah asked stepping into the room. "Liv, I like that. It looks good on you."

"You think so? It isn't too revealing? I could change. I don't really even have to wear a costume. This is your party, I just don't want to do anything to embarrass you."

"It's a costume party. And besides you look great, how would that embarrass me?"

Olivia smiled.

"Can you help me with my hair?" Sarah asked pointing to the hot rollers on top her head.

"Yeah," Olivia said smiling at her and Elliot could see her starting to relax.

"Great costume, Elliot. Dracula, I like the blood."

"I have fangs in my pocket. But I can barely talk with them in. I like yours, too."

Sarah was dressed as Dorothy from the Wizard Of Oz and carried a little basket with a stuffed Toto in it. She even wore a pair of ruby slippers.

Elliot watched as Olivia took the rollers out of her hair and fixed her dark curls and tied in a blue plaid bow that matched her dress.

"There," Olivia said twisting a ringlet around her fingers and laying it into place.

"So what are Dickie and Elizabeth going to be?" Olivia asked her daughter.

"I'm not really sure. Elizabeth was going to be Alice, from Alice in Wonderland. Dickie, I'm not sure."

"Maureen should be dropping them off anytime."

Five hours later Olivia thanked the last of their party guests as her mother walked her out the apartment door. She closed the door and leaned against it for a moment in exhaustion. She looked across the room as her partner stacked plastic cups and tossed them into a garbage bag.

"Thank you for your help with this. It really meant a lot to Sarah for you to be here." She looked up at him as she tossed some plates and napkins into the bag. "It meant a lot to me, too."

Elliot smiled. "It was fun. And I wouldn't' have missed it for anything. Besides, I have enough kids that I figure one of these days I'm sure you will get the chance to return the favor."

"I want to show you something," she said opening a junk drawer and pulling out an envelope.

"You got the letter?"

"My lawyer got it from the agency this morning. She called me and went ahead and gave it to me instead of making me wait until Monday. But I didn't want to open it in front of Sarah. I was so nervous, am nervous. I have had this huge knot in my stomach all day."

"She is in her room now."

Olivia took a deep breath and laid the envelope on the counter. She walked down the hall a few feet and tapped on Sarah's bedroom door. She pushed the door gently open to find her already in bed asleep. She stood there and watched her for a moment as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"Everything okay?" Elliot asked from behind her.

"Yeah," Olivia whispered as she turned off the bedside lamp and kissed her daughter's forehead.

She walked toward the doorway where Elliot stood holding the letter. Olivia closed the door and leaned against the wall beside the door. She raised her hand and took the envelope from him as she looked at him with worried eyes.

Elliot stared into her eyes for a moment, knowing how afraid she was that the news in that letter was bad news and they would take her child away from her again. He rested his hand beside her on the wall and stared into her brown eyes trying to think of something to say to raise her spirits.

"You don't know until you open it," he whispered.

Olivia nodded her head slowly and took a deep breath.

Elliot reached up to tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear and stared at her. He turned his head for a moment the turned to look at her again and smiled at her with his fangs in trying to make her smile. Olivia held steady for a moment then smiled and let out a small laugh.

"There it is," he mumbled through his teeth.

She chuckled softly. "I am just so afraid, Elliot."

"I know."

Without thinking Elliot reached to touch her cheek with his thumb. Olivia shifted her eyes to meet his and the next thing she knew they were kissing. Elliot placed his finger under her chin and raised it to meet his lips. After a few seconds he pulled back to look at her doe eyed expression.

"Say something," he said softly.

"I have wondered about that for a long time," she confessed staring into his eyes. "But never once did I think that the first time you kissed me would be with fangs."

Elliot shifted his eyebrow for a moment. He pulled the teeth from his mouth and tossed them behind him, then leaned in to kiss her again. This time he slid his hands around her body and held her against him. He kissed her passionately as he moved his fingertips over her jaw line.

Several kisses later, Olivia broke their embrace and gazed longingly into his eyes.

"Elliot," she said hesitantly as she looked down at the envelope in her hand. "I'm just not so sure this is the best time."

"Olivia, this is real. For me it is, anyway."

She lowered her hand onto his arm and followed it until her hand laid over his. She locked her fingers in his and brought his palm to rest flat against her chest. Elliot stared deep into her eyes as he felt her heart pounding wildly.

"It is for me, too." She took a staggered breath and he could see she was holding back tears. "I just have so much going on right now. Some things I need to sort out first. And get my life back in order. Then, Elliot, I would love to try this…whatever this is between us."

Elliot shifted his attention back down to her hand and raised the letter between them. "I guess we got a little distracted."

Olivia smiled. "I guess so," she said softly walking back to the kitchen and taking a seat at the bar to open the letter.

Elliot stood beside her barstool and watched as she tore open the end of the envelope and began to read the paper inside. He watched her closely and after a few moments she began to cry. She dropped the letter on the counter and moved down the hall to her bedroom. Elliot picked up the letter to see what it said.

Several minutes had passed and Elliot struggled with himself every single one to hold off and give her a few moments alone before he went after her. He took a glass from the cabinet and poured half a bottle of water into it then made his way down the hallway. He leaned against the bedroom door for a moment, then tapped gently on it.

"Liv honey, can I come in?"

"Yeah," she said softly.

Elliot opened the door to see her sitting on the edge of the bed with her face in her hands still crying.

"I brought you some water," Elliot said sitting the glass and the letter down on the nightstand. He sat down beside her on the bed. "Olivia, I am so sorry."

"I can't believe this. I am her mother," she said looking up at him with tears streaming down her face. "I am right here and I want her. More than anything in the world, I want my child. And they wont even let me adopt her. Because I am not married. I can't provide her with a father figure."

"Olivia, they knew that before you even filled out the paperwork."

"I know, Elliot. I cannot provide a father for her, but the Jensen's can. With me ineligible to adopt her, they are likely to get custody. If they get custody, after these last few weeks there is no way they are going to share her with me. I am going to lose her all over again."

"That is not going to happen," Elliot said as he traced his thumb over her face.

"I think I'm going to be sick," she said crossing her hands over her stomach.

"You have to calm down."

"Calm down! The state has my child and will not give her back to me!"

"I know, Olivia. But shouting and getting yourself all worked up it only going to make you sick and wake Sarah up. You don't want her to see you like this, do you?"

Olivia shook her head. Elliot picked up the glass of water and handed it to her as she took a few drinks and tried to calm herself. She sat there for a moment, then sat the empty glass back on the nightstand and laid down across her bed.

Elliot leaned back against the pillow on the other side and stared at her.

"Hey," he said reaching to touch her fingertips with his. Olivia sighed but didn't look at him. He rolled to face her. "Hey."

Olivia shifted her eyes to look at him.

"No more tears," Elliot said brushing her cheeks dry with the heel of his hand. He cupped his hand against the side of her face and stared into her pretty brown eyes. He slid his hand around to trace the fullness of her lips with his finger. "We are going to figure this out."

He leaned forward and kissed her again. He had expected her to fight him and push him away. Instead she tilted her head and allowed him full access to her mouth as he brushed his tongue against hers. Elliot rolled on his back and pulled her into his arms as he kissed her tenderly. For several minutes their mouths blended passionately together.

"El," she sighed.

That was it. That was her signal to him that it was time to stop. He kissed her gently once more then rolled over beside her in the bed and stared up at the ceiling.

"God, I'm sorry." She said rubbing her hands over her face. "I'm not trying to lead you on."

Elliot laughed and smiled. "It's okay. You're not. I fully understand," he said tucking her hair behind her ear.

"You do?"

"First thing's first. Lets bring Sarah home for good," he said raising her fist to kiss it. "Then after things are settled if we are still interested…."

"Oh, I will still be interested." She smiled. "I can't believe you are being so understanding about this. I just ruined your Halloween."

"Nah," he said with a laugh as he stared up at the ceiling. "I just made out with Wonder Woman. I have been waiting to do that since I was fifteen years old."

Olivia laughed. Then things got quiet for a few minutes. Then Elliot rolled over and hugged her. He laid quietly beside her as she closed her eyes and was almost asleep.

"Liv?"

"Hmm?"

"Why don't you let me do it?"

She raised her head to look at him. "Elliot, it just isn't the best time for me to start dating someone, anyone. I thought you understood that?"

"No, baby. Not that. Let me be her adopt Sarah."

"Elliot, did you forget to come up for air while we were kissing? What in the world are you talking about?"

"They turned you down because you are not married and you could not provide a father for Sarah."

"Yes."

"So if she had a father, they would have no reason to turn you down."

Olivia thought about it for a moment.

"Olivia, it is worth a try. You let me adopt her. She is still yours. And if someday down the road you meet Mr. Right and want him to be her father, that is your decision. But for now, she has a father. And her mother," he said locking his fingers between hers again.

Olivia rolled on to her back and stared at the ceiling for a moment. "Are you sure about this?"

"I wouldn't have offered if I wasn't. I love her too Olivia. And I would do anything for either of you. So it just makes sense that I should do the one thing I can do that could possibly help you get custody of your daughter. She would be yours, forever. Back with her mother where she needs to be. Let me do this."

"Okay. But I think we should talk to Sarah first. This is her life, it should be her decision, too. I want her to be able to understand everything that is going on. And I want her to be open with me about what she wants. If she wants to stay with the Jensen's, then I will let her go. If that is truly what she wants."

"Olivia, she wants to be with you. We were both sitting there the other night at dinner when she said it."

"We'll talk to her tomorrow. But Elliot, I don't think you should be here when she wakes up in the morning. I don't want her to see me with men. I know nothing is going on, but it is still inappropriate. And what kind of example am I setting for my child?"

"You are right." Elliot leaned in and kissed her again. "Why don't I come by tomorrow evening and cook dinner for you guys. Then we can sit down together and talk to her."

"Sounds good."

"Get some sleep. And Liv…"

"Yeah?"

"I had a wonderful night."

"So did I," she said with a smile. "And someday, we can do this again."

"Definitely."

Elliot smiled and Olivia laughed. "I will see you tomorrow."

"Okay."

He kissed her softly on the forehead and headed home for the night.


	11. 11 Dinner & A Plan

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Eleven: Dinner & A Plan)_

Sarah sat on the couch watching a movie on television and reading a book. Olivia hustled around the apartment straightening things up and awaiting Elliot's arrival.

"What time is Elliot coming over?" Sarah asked as the doorbell rang. Olivia watched as a large smile grew across her face and she ran to let Elliot in.

"Hello there!" Elliot said as he walked past Sarah, his eyes immediately jumping to Olivia standing across the room.

"Hey, El. I'm glad you came over. Can I help you cook dinner?"

"Sure. Can you take the things from this bag and put them into them away? We can get started in just a minute."

"Okay," she said with a smile. "You got ice cream?"

"You don't like ice cream?"

"I love it. Rocky road, is my favorite!"

"I thought you might like it," he replied looking into Olivia's eyes. Rocky road was her favorite as well.

Olivia smiled at him as he approached her. She fidgeted nervously as he stared into her eyes. "These are for you," she said handing her a bouquet of mixed flowers. "I thought you could use a little cheering up."

"El," she said staring into his eyes and fighting back the strong urge to have his mouth pressed against hers again. "Thank you."

"Aww, he got you flowers," Sarah said as she walked over to check out the bouquet.

"And these, are for you." Elliot turned and handed Sarah a smaller bouquet as she smiled. "Thank you Elliot," she said moving in to hug him. "I'm going to put them in some water. Sarah took her and Olivia's flowers to the kitchen.

Olivia stared at Elliot across the room for a moment as he made his way over to her. Olivia backed down the hallway a few feet so they could talk without Sarah overhearing them.

"I just thought they were kind of for luck and kind of to celebrate."

"Celebrate?"

"Well, yeah. If tonight goes well, then hopefully soon we will all be a family."

"Are you sure about this?"

"Of course I am sure."

Olivia smiled and sighed in relief. "I figured we could tell her over dinner. Just sort of bring it up and ask her. If this is what she wants, then I have already talked to my lawyer about going in tomorrow and starting the paperwork. We will both have to file this time."

"Sounds great."

Olivia placed her hands against his chest and exhaled softly. I can't help but feel nervous."

"Liv, I am here now. We're a team. And if we can take bad ass criminals, then surely together, the three of us can handle a judge and a court hearing."

"I hope so."

Elliot leaned in and kissed her forehead. She stared up and into his eyes as he leaned slowly forward to kiss her again. Just before their lips touched….

"So what are we making for dinner anyway?" Sarah called from the kitchen as she walked around the corner.

Elliot walked around by the stove. "Lemon pepper chicken breasts, homemade mashed potatoes and a salad. What do you think?"

"Sounds really good! Olivia said you are a really good cook."

"Well, I try. I like to cook and I don't think I have ever had anyone complain about my cooking."

"Good, because I am starving."

"Well, then….we had better get started."

An hour later Sarah set the table and poured them each a glass of iced tea. They all sat down and started their meal. After about twenty minutes of miscellaneous conversation, Olivia took a drink of her tea and a deep breath.

"Sarah, Elliot and I have something important that we wanted to talk to you about."

"Okay." She batted her dark eyelashes and stared blankly ahead at them.

Olivia looked at Elliot for a moment, then returned her attention to her daughter.

"I was thinking about when you said you wanted to come live with me. Are you sure that is really how you feel?"

"Yes. I mean, if that is okay with you, Olivia. I would love to come and live here and stay with you. I don't want to live with the Jensen's anymore. I want to be with you. If you want me."

"Baby, I love you more than anything in the world. And I want you to me here with me forever. But the judge says that I have to adopt you, to legally make me your mother."

"But did you tell him about the man that stole me when I was a baby? You are my mother, right?"

"Yes. Honey, I will always be your mother. But to make it legal for you to live with me permanently, so that no one can ever take you away from me again, I have to adopt you."

"That's stupid. How can you adopt me if I am already your daughter?"

"I agree with you. It is stupid. But it is also the law. In New York, that is the way things are done. So to make it legal, that is what I have to do."

"So adopt me."

Olivia took another deep breath. "I tried to. I went to my lawyer's office and filled out all of the paperwork. And I waited for it all to come back. But when it did, they said they wouldn't let me adopt you."

"Why not?"

"Because, honey….they like for kids who are adopted to have a mother and a father. But if you were here with me, you would only have a mother."

Olivia watched as her child's heart broke in front of her eyes.

"But I love you, Olivia. I love you and you love me and that is enough. I don't need a father."

"I was thinking maybe they were right. Maybe you do."

"Please don't let them take me away again," Sarah said softly as her tears fell onto the table.

"Baby listen to me," Olivia said softly as she moved to kneel beside Sarah's chair and held her hand. "Sarah, I love you so much. And I am going to do everything I can to be able to keep you here with me." Olivia looked over at Elliot. "Infact, Elliot and I were talking last night after your party and he came up with an idea."

Sarah tipped her head to look at Elliot. He watched the girl as her bottom lip quivered and he felt his heart melt. He knew there was nothing in the world he would not do for this child. He already loved her like she was his own. This would only make it legal. He knew it was the right thing to do.

"Sarah," he began, "what would you think about me adopting you?"

"I can't live with Olivia?"

"No honey, you don't understand. If I adopted you, I would be your father. Then Olivia could adopt you and you would stay with her. I would be your father and she would still be your mother and no one would ever be able to take you away from her again."

Sarah smiled. "You can do that?"

"We don't know for sure yet if it would work. But we would like to give it a try. We wanted to talk to you first. This needs to be your decision."

"So, you would be my father?"

"Yes."

"And that would make your kids my brothers and sisters?"

"I hadn't thought about it, but yes. You and Elizabeth would be sisters."

"Where would we live?"

"Here," Olivia answered.

"You are going to move in here?" Sarah asked looking at Elliot.

"No, I would still live at my house. It would be like the way it is with me and my kids. I would be your dad and you would see me all of the time and I would always be here for you. But you would live here with Olivia, your mother."

"Oh. Can I change my name?"

"Yes. Actually your name would change to Stabler."

She looked at Olivia. "I can't change my name to Benson?"

"Your name would be the same as Elliot's because he would be your father. You would be Sarah Stabler."

"Will your name change to Stabler, too?"

"No, honey. My name would stay Olivia Benson."

"Why can't our names be the same?"

"It is really complicated and to tell you the truth I don't even fully understand it."

"Oh."

"What do you think?" Elliot asked her.

Sarah looked at Olivia and then back at Elliot. "I think….I would like you to be my dad."

"You do, huh?"

"Yes. We would still be a family, right? The three of us. Even if we don't live together or all have the same last name?"

"You bet!" Elliot looked up at Sarah as she ran around to his side of the table to hug him.

"Thank you Elliot!"

"You are very welcome, sweetheart."

"I love you," she said placing a Soft kiss against his cheek.

"I love you too, Sarah."

"It will be kind of cool to have a real dad."

"Well, I would be honored to have you as my daughter."

Sarah smiled. She took Elliot's hand in one of hers and held Olivia's with the other. "I like this. Being with my real family. Now I have a father and a mother and five brothers and sisters."

Olivia laughed. "Well. We still have to wait to see if the judge will approve it."

"Sarah, no matter what happens Olivia and I will both love you always. And we will be here for you, no matter what."

"What happens if he doesn't approve you?" She asked looking at Olivia. "Will I have to keep living with the Jensen's?"

"For now. But they will probably try to adopt you. And if they do, I am not sure how much they will let me see you. But I am going to do everything I can, I promise you that. Elliot and I both are."

"Infact, we are going to go talk to the lawyer tomorrow to fill out the papers. Then we will just have to wait until the judge tells us if he will approve the adoption."

"How long will that take?"

"It can take a few weeks or sometimes as long as a month or two," Olivia answered her. "But until we find out I will still get you on our weekends. And we will still get our phone calls. Everything will be how it is right now, until then."

"What do I tell the Jensen's?"

"You can talk to them about it if you want," Olivia answered, "I don't expect you to keep secrets from them."

"Do I have to tell them? What if they get mad?"

"You don't have to. It might be a little easier on you if you didn't. If this works out, then my lawyer will contact them and tell them. And you won't have to."

Sarah hugged Olivia again. "I love you, Olivia. I want to live with you. I want to do this and I want Elliot to be my dad."

"I love you too baby," Olivia said combing her fingers through Sarah's soft hair. "You should run get your things together, then we will have some ice cream. The Jensen's will be here in half an hour to pick you up." Olivia kissed her forehead and Sarah went down the hall into her bedroom to gather her things.

"That went better than I thought it would," Elliot replied.

"You think so?"

Elliot reached over and squeezed her hand. "It went really well."

Olivia smiled. "I know, I am just so afraid it isn't going to be a simple as it sounds."

"All we can do is try, Olivia. I will never give up on trying to bring her home. This is where she belongs. With you."

"I don't know what I would do without you," she whispered.

"You will never have to find out," Elliot said kissing her hand.


	12. 12 Progress

_**The Black Market Baby Scandal**_

_**(Chapter Twelve: Progress)**_

**Olivia sat in the waiting area of her attorney's office rocking her foot nervously as she flipped through the pages of a magazine. Elliot looked over at her fidgeting and slipped his hand over hers. Olivia took a deep breath and stared down at their hands for a moment before raising her eyes to meet his.**

"**It's going to be okay," Elliot whispered to her.**

"**Olivia, I am so sorry to have kept you waiting. The two of you can come on back. Hello again, Elliot." The woman opened the office door and lead them into her office.**

"**Hello," he replied. "It has been a little while since I was in here."**

"**So, what can I do for you this morning?" She asked smiling at Olivia.**

"**I want to reapply to adopt Sarah."**

"**Okay. But here is the problem, the judge has already turned you down because of the conditions listed in your letter. It is not going to do any good to reapply until they have been met. Unless, you have contacted Sarah's biological father and he has agreed to fill out the papers. I am sure they will want a paternity test and we will have to work out a custody agree…"**

"**No. He is not involved with her. And at this point, with everything else that is going on, I think maybe it is for the better. He never wanted a baby. He wanted me to have an abortion."**

"**Olivia, I am not trying to be short with you. But they are not going to let you adopt this child if you cannot provide a father for her. So unless you got married over the weekend, I am afraid reapplying is not going to help you get custody. She has to have a father."**

"**That is where I come in," Elliot spoke up.**

"**You? What are you talking about? You're the girls father?"**

"**I want to be. I want you to help me adopt Sarah. Then she will have a father and they have no reason to deny custody."**

"**Elliot, that is not the right reason to adopt a child. You already have five children of your own, are you sure you want to do this?"**

"**I am sure. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't. It sounds like you are trying to talk me out of it."**

"**I'm not. If this is what you want, I think it is wonderful and I would be glad to do all I can to help you both. But this is a child we are talking about, it isn't like adopting a pet that you can just give away when you tire of her. We are talking about you being her father, for the rest of her life. She would be like one of your own children, you would share all legal responsibility for her. Help in caring for the child and provide for her. And if you are not planning on living together, they will probably expect you to pay support on the child. If the adoption is approved for this first step, then we will move to the second."**

"**There is a second step?" Olivia asked confused.**

"**A trial period. Before they place the child with you, both homes will have to be inspected and approved. She will need her own room and her own space. Once the homes are approved there will be a trial period. Sarah will come and live with you, Olivia. A social worker will make scheduled appointments to check on the residence and to make sure you are providing adequate living conditions. They will want to make sure she is attending school. Sometimes they will make surprise visits as well, so you have to be expecting anything. You need to be able to tell them, where she is every moment of the day. Who stays with her while you are away at work? Who will watch her if you get called away for work during the middle of the night? Things like this. They want to see some kind of a support system."**

"**Okay. I can work all of this out. I just need to be with my child. I need to bring her home."**

"**Well then, lets get the paperwork started."**

**After lunch they headed back to work. Dr. Warner's DNA results on the bodies of the children who were found in their caskets told Olivia that Dana Shaw's son Devon was not found among the remains. She took a deep breath and picked up the phone on her desk. **

"**Yes, this is Detective Olivia Benson. I am calling to speak with Dana Shaw, please." She waited for a moment as Dana's husband went to get her. This was not the type of thing that a mother should hear over the phone.**

"**Hello," Dana said.**

"**Dana? Hi, it is Detective Benson. My partner, Detective Stabler and I came to your home and spoke to you about your son, Devon."**

"**Yes, I remember you."**

"**Well, I have been working on this case and I think that I may have some new information about your son's case."**

"**My son never had a case."**

"**Actually, ma'am I came across the information about you and your son while working on another case. We have found some information in continuing the investigation that I would like to talk with you about. I was wondering if maybe I could meet with you tomorrow afternoon, I would like to buy you lunch."**

**Dana was quiet for a moment. "Would you like me to come into the city and meet with you?"**

"**Or I could come there. Anywhere you would like to go is fine with me."**

"**There is a little café a few blocks away, Café Noir, they have great food there and it will be a good place to talk."**

"**How is one o'clock for you?"**

"**One o'clock is good."**

"**Great! Then I will see you tomorrow. Dana, thank you."**

**EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO**

Olivia sat in a booth at Café Noir waiting for Dana to arrive. Just as she was sure she had been stood up and was heading to the counter to pay for her cup of coffee she heard a soft voice behind her.

"Detective Benson?"

Olivia turned and looked over her shoulder. "Dana, I was sure you had changed your mind. It is after two o'clock."

"I almost had," Dana said as they sat back down in the booth.

"But you are here now."

"My husband didn't think I should meet with you. He said I should just let it go and let it all be in the past. He said that we need to focus on the children we still have and not the one we lost all of those years ago. But he was my son. I cannot not think about him. If there is any information that could help me make sense of his death, I need to hear it. I guess he just doesn't understand, I was his mother. That baby was inside of me for nine months and I know what I saw. I saw the baby move and I am sure I heard him cry."

"Dana, that is what I have come here to tell you. The case I am investigating revolves around the doctor who delivered your son and my daughter. This doctor had an unusual amount of stillbirths and infants who died shortly after they were born. We obtained permission from a judge and exhumed the graves of several of these children to examine the remains. We have reason to believe that this doctor stole many of these infants and sold them on the black market to couples who could not conceive."

"You dug up my son's grave?"

"We had to. We had to make sure that the children assigned to these graves were actually the ones buried there. Several of them were empty graves, a teddy bear was placed in the casket instead of the body of the child who had purposively died."

"And Devon's grave….was it empty as well?"

"No." Olivia watched as Dana's saddened eyes fell to stare down at the table. "Dana, your son's grave did actually contain the remains of a newborn."

"So you called me and had me meet you here just to tell me what I have known all along? My baby is dead. And now his grave has been dug up and disrupted and…."

"Dana, there is more. I got a copy of your medical records from the hospital where the baby was born. We ran DNA tests on that baby and there is no way that…. You and your husband could not have been the biological parents of the infant who was buried in that casket."

"He was not my son?"

"No."

"So where is my baby? Where is Devon?"

"We are not exactly sure yet. But we have been able to locate some of these children and start proceedings to reunite them with their biological parents."

"You think you can find my son?"

"We already found my daughter. The daughter I thought was dead for the last twelve years. And I have been able to hold her and talk to her and get to know her. I am now in the process of trying to adopt her, to bring her home. Three months ago I would have never thought that someday I would see my beautiful healthy child again. There is hope, Dana. Don't give up on Devon, yet. I promise you that I will do everything that I can to find your child for you."

Dana was crying, but they were tears of joy and uncertainty. "Olivia, I have no idea how to thank you, for this. For not giving up. You just gave me the news I have waited over twelve years to hear. That I am not crazy. My son _is_ alive. And there is a chance that someday we could be reunited with him."

**EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO**

Eight days later Olivia sat at her desk at work. Because of her stubbornness and progress on this case, Cragen had agreed to let her come back to work. But this didn't come without conditions. Right now this case was she and Elliot's main focus and the only case they were allowed to work on, until they had figured out some way to resolve at least some of this mess. Olivia, was on probation as far as Cragen was concerned and walking a think line.

The truth was, he needed her help to solve the case. Olivia and Elliot had made more progress in their own little investigation in searching for Emily than the three other teams who were assigned to work the case had made all together. So to keep her on suspension not only hurt him as their Captain, but it also jeopardized the entire case.

"Olivia," Cragen said leaning out of his office and motioning for her to come to him.

"What's up?"

"This came for you while you were gone to lunch. I signed for it." He handed her a large envelope. "Thanks."

"Everything okay?" He asked.

"Yeah, it is probably just my copy of the adoption papers."

"Any news on that yet?"

"Not yet. She said it will take about a month before it will even go before the judge. I guess they are pretty busy."

"Well, we are all crossing our fingers for you."

"Thanks. I really hope it works out. Now that I have found Sarah, I cannot imagine my life without her in it."

"Elliot says she is an amazing kid."

Olivia smiled. "Yeah, she is."

"Well, she definitely got that from her mother." Cragen squeezed her shoulder gently in support.

"When this all goes to court, over the adoption, they may call some of you as character witnesses. Or they may send a social worker to ask you a few questions. To make sure they are not placing her with a crazy person."

"I only have the best things to say. If I leave out the fact that you are a headstrong pain in the ass who cannot seem to follow directions. But I wouldn't have you any other way. You are a great cop with amazing instincts and I am sure you will be a damn good mother. Besides, she's your kid. She's probably just like you," he said with a smile. "I cannot wait to meet miss Sarah."

Olivia laughed. "Thanks."

She walked back to her desk and tossed the envelope on her desk. She sat down in front of the computer and returned her attention to the information on the screen. Half an hour later Elliot returned from court carrying a similar envelope to the one Cragen had handed Olivia.

"What is that?" He asked looking at the envelope on her desk.

"I'm not really sure, I have not opened it yet. I think it is my copy of the adoption application papers we sent in."

"I got one, too. And I already have my copy of the papers."

Olivia wrinkled her brow and looked down at the envelope again. She looked back at Elliot who shrugged his shoulders and began to open the envelope. He pulled out the papers inside and skimmed his eyes over them for a moment.

"What does this mean?" Olivia asked looking at her copy of the documents.

"Liv, it is a subpoena. They want us in court tomorrow morning to discuss the adoption."

"Does this mean that we were approved?"

"It doesn't say."

"I'm going to call the lawyer and try to find out what this means." She picked up the phone and dialed the number.

Elliot watched from across the room as Olivia carried on her conversation over the phone. He felt a little uneasy at the worried look she had on her face. Finally she hung up the phone. Elliot walked back to sit across from her at his desk.

"So what is going on?"

"She got one, too. She said that the judge has not made any decision yet. This is so that he can speak with us before he decides."

"So is that good or bad?"

"I would have much rather it meant that the adoption went through."

"Me too, Liv. But at least it doesn't mean that it didn't. We still have a chance. And he is letting us speak. That means that he at least cares enough to find out if we are fit to adopt her. And you and I both know that we are."

"I guess you are right. It just makes me nervous. Being subpoenaed to appear in front of the judge who will decide if I am fit to raise my own child. A judge that does not know me or Sarah. She said that he also sent one out requesting to speak with Sarah, in the presence of the Jensen's attorney of course."

"That is good. You know she will tell him that she wants to come live with you."

"I know she will tell us that, Elliot. But she is a scared eleven year old child. And God only knows what they have told her about me. She is afraid of hurting anyone. She wants so badly to be able to please the adults in her life that I am afraid that she might not say what she truly feels. Especially not with their attorney sitting right there."

"I know. But this judge deals with custody cases all of the time. I am sure he can tell when a kid is just saying what people want to hear and when they are speaking about what they really want. "

"I hope so. I just hope that Sarah gets what makes her happy, what is best for her. Even if that is not me."

"How could being away from her mother possibly be the best thing for her?"

Elliot smiled at Olivia until she smiled back at him.

"I think I am going to wrap things up here and go home a little early. I just want to have a little time to think all of this through and think about what I want to say to the judge tomorrow. If this is my only chance to tell him my side of this story, I want to make sure what I tell him is strong enough to make him understand how I feel about all of this."

"I'll call you a little later after we have both had some time to think about this court thing."

"Yeah, I'll talk to you later."

Olivia turned shut down her computer and draped her jacket over her arm as she headed for the door.

"Liv, I am sure things will work out for the best. This judge would have to be completely blind not to see that you have Sarah's best interest at heart. This child belongs with you."

She wiped a tear from her eye and turned to look at him over her shoulder. "Thanks, El." Moments later the elevator doors closed and she was gone.


	13. 13 Probation

_**The Black Market Baby Scandal**_

_**(Chapter Thirteen: Probation)**_

**Olivia took a hot bath and was relaxing on her couch with a glass of wine when the doorbell rang. She exhaled softly and sat her wine glass on the coffee table. She opened the door and smiled. In her mind she already knew who it was, but when the door opened and her eyes fell upon him a smile automatically spread across her face.**

"**Hi, El." She turned and walked back toward the couch.**

"**I thought I would stop by with some dinner. We could talk, if you want to."**

"**Sure. What's in the bag?"**

"**Burgers and onion rings," he said.**

**Olivia winced. **

**Elliot laughed. "I got you that grilled chicken Cesar salad you like so much."**

**She smiled and laughed. **

"**I didn't see you eating onion rings without protest."**

"**Thank you." Olivia went into the kitchen and got out two plates, carrying them to meet him in the living room.**

"**At least this way I know you ate something."**

**They sat and ate dinner and talked for a few hours over wine. When Elliot was sure that she'd be okay he kissed her forehead softly and walked out the apartment door.**

"**Elliot?"**

"**Yes?"**

**Olivia leaned across the door frame and stared at him.**

"**I don't even get a real kiss?"**

"**I…I just ate onion rings, Liv. I figured I would spare you the onion breath."**

**Olivia laughed. "Come here," she said softly.**

**Elliot walked slowly toward her. Olivia reached out to him and pressed her lips to his. It was a short closed mouth kiss, but it was sweet and romantic. When the kiss had ended Elliot gazed into her eyes. "Good night," he said with a smile as he leaned up to kiss her forehead once more. "I will pick you up for court in the morning."**

"**Good night, El."**

**EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO**

Olivia stared straight ahead at the dashboard of her car as Elliot drove them to work. She had barely said two words to him all morning. The got off the elevator and returned to their desks as she started up her computer for the day. It wasn't even lunch time yet and they had already had such a busy day.

"Hey," Elliot said tossing a pencil across the desk toward her to get her attention.

Olivia shifted her eyes up to look at him. "Hmm?"

"Say something."

She laughed. "What do you want me to say? I am a little shocked. I really didn't think it would go this way."

"Olivia, how did it go?" Cragen asked, as he laid a stack of files on her desk.

"I am going to need to leave a couple of hours early again today. I have to meet up with my lawyer around three thirty."

"No problem. Still meeting with the lawyer? Has the judge still not made up his mind?"

"No. I am meeting with my lawyer, who is going with me to pick up my daughter. This is my weekend with Sarah, so the judge said he didn't see any reason she could not go ahead and move in with me this weekend."

"Congratulations!"

"Well, it is not permanent yet. We have a three month trial period. I have to go tomorrow morning and get her registered in the private school down the block and pick up her uniforms. We will get her settled this weekend and she will start at her new school on Monday. I think she will like it. The school has a great program for gifted students, they already faxed her transcripts and they want to test her for that. And they have an amazing music program and a grand piano. Sarah loves to play and I would love to get her one, but there is no room in my apartment for a piano. So at least this way she will have access."

"Sounds like you have it all worked out"

"Almost, I still have to figure out someone to sit with her from three thirty until about five thirty when I get home from work. I can pick her up, but she is too young to leave home alone for the two hours. Not to mention she is not that familiar with the city and the apartment and I am still a little weary about leaving her alone at all. At least until after this adoption goes through and a permanent custody arrangement is made."

"I don't blame you for being a little weary after her being stolen from you once already. You have days build up, personal days. Take them if you need them. Until you get all of this settled. Sarah needs you right now, she needs her mother."

"Thank you," she said with a soft smile.

Cragen patted her on the back and walked back to his office.

"So, Mr. Stabler. Would you like to join me and our daughter for dinner tonight to celebrate the good news?"

A smile slowly spread across Elliot's face. _Their _daughter. He liked the sound of that. He had focused mainly on doing whatever he could to help Olivia with the adoption that ha had briefly forgotten that this meant they now shared a child together.

"I would love to."

**EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO**

The next morning Olivia awoke to the sound of her alarm clock. She reached to turn it off and stared up at the ceiling with a smile. She sat up and slipped her robe over her shoulders. She walked a few feet down the hallway and opened Sarah's bedroom door as she peered inside. Sarah laid curled up in her bed with one arm stretched out and hanging over the edge. Her long dark hair was fanned out around her on the pillow.

"I love you," Olivia whispered softly. "Welcome home baby."

She pulled the door shut again and went into the kitchen to start the coffee. She walked back to her room and laid out her clothes on the bed then climbed into the shower. She dressed quickly then moved to the kitchen to cook breakfast for her daughter. Scrambled eggs, sausage, juice and toast.

Olivia talked down the hall and tapped gently on Sarah's bedroom door. She pushed the door open and walked over to kneel beside the bed.

"Sarah," she said with a whisper. "Honey, it's time to wake up."

Sarah stirred a little and groaned softly. Olivia combed her fingers through the girls long dark hair.

"Sarah." Olivia reached her fingertip to trace the curve of Sarah's nose. Sarah smiled and laughed a tired laugh as she fluttered her brown eyes open to stare at Olivia. "Good morning, sunshine. It's time to get up. I made breakfast. And we have to go get you enrolled in your new school today. Then….I was going to go in to work, but I was thinking we could go shopping. Get you some things for school. And maybe some stuff to make this room feel more at home. Maybe catch a movie and get some lunch."

Sarah smiled at her. "You don't have to work?"

"Nope. My boss said I could take the day off if I wanted to. To spend time with you. I was also thinking maybe I could take you by my work and let you meet everyone. Maybe take Elliot some lunch."

"It would be really neat to see where you work."

"I also wanted to talk to you about something. What would you think about spending a couple of hours a day with Maureen after school?"

"That's cool, I like Maureen."

"Yeah?" Olivia stood up and sat beside her on the bed. "See you get out of school at three thirty, but I don't usually get home until around five thirty. I was needing to find someone to stay with you and she dose not have any classes at that time, so she offered. I thought it might be more fun than a regular babysitter."

"I think it is a good idea."

Olivia tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear and kissed her gently. "I will be able to pick you up from school a couple of days a week and bring you back here to meet her. But on days I am busy with work she will pick you up from school and bring you home."

"It will be fun."

"I'm glad you think so. Because I don't know anyone else and I don't want to leave you with someone I don't know and trust. Now come on. Up, up, up. Before you breakfast gets cold."

Sarah appeared in the kitchen a few minutes later and climbed up to the bar as Olivia handed her a plate of food and a glass of juice.

"After breakfast, you need to get a shower and get dressed. We have to be at your school in two hours."

Sarah smiled and Olivia kissed her forehead.

"I love you, baby."

"I love you too, Liv."

**EOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEOEO**

Sarah and Olivia toured the campus of Sarah's new school. They were able to meet with a few of her teachers and even see the music room and piano. After meeting with the dean, Olivia sat down to fill out the enrollment forms as Sarah went to do her placement testing. An hour later the dean returned Sarah to her mother and showed them both to the admissions office to measure Sarah for her uniforms.

"I'll give you a couple today to wear until yours come in. I will send off the order this afternoon and it usually takes about two weeks for them to come in," the woman said looking at Sarah.

Sarah smiled and nodded politely as she reached for Olivia's hand. After Olivia wrote them a check for fees and uniforms, they set out shopping for the list of items she would need for school.

After lunch they stopped by the precinct to take Elliot some food and allow Sarah the chance to meet the crew. Everyone was excited to finally get to meet Olivia's daughter, Elliot and Olivia's daughter. Munch even gave her a tour of their floor.

Olivia sat across from Elliot at her desk checking her messages. She scribbled down a few notes and put together a stack of files to take home to work on over the weekend.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Elliot asked.

"Well, I got her registered. And she did her placement testing and got measured for uniforms. Then we went shopping for the things on the list the school gave me. Some of the supplies she needs are crazy. Like, she had to have an ipod."

"You bought her an ipod?"

"Well, she had an mp3 player already. But I wanted to make sure it would work for what they needed it for."

"What on earth do they need it for? She is eleven."

"They use it in her foreign language class."

"She is taking a foreign language?"

"Spanish I this semester and French I next semester. They alternate the two until they get into high school, then they also offer Japanese, German and Italian as electives."

"She is eleven years old, what is she in fifth grade?"

"Sixth grade."

"Sixth grade. Still this is a lot for these kids."

"Elliot, she tested in the top of her class for this school. They are enrolling her in the gifted program. She is so smart."

"It sounds like the two of you had fun. Her school sounds like a wonderful place."

"She likes it. I was worried about that. Oh, and I put you on the list to be able to pick her up. You, me, Kathy and Maureen. And you have to show identification to be able to leave with her. I was just worried about the Jensen's. I am trying not to feel this way, but I cannot help it. I figured if for any reason they should need to have her that early then you or I can pick her up for them."

"Good. They make me nervous."

"What are you guys doing this evening?"

"Nothing, really."

"What if after work we swing by the video store, the three of us and get some movies? Then we can order a pizza and have a little family time."

Olivia smiled. She had never thought about it that way. This adoption sealed the deal. She and Elliot were now officially family. They shared a child together and planned to raise her together. As a family.

"That sounds great."

"I was also thinking, I am taking the kids to a Ranger's hockey game on November twenty first. Why don't you and Sarah go with us? Well, make it a family thing."

"Elliot, I don't really follow hockey."

"But have you ever been to a live game?"

"No."

"Then you have yet to experience hockey. Come on, it will be fun. I promise. And then if you still are not convinced, I will never make you attend another hockey game again."

"I like baseball."

"Liv, baseball season ends in mid-October."

"Oh."

Elliot smiled.

"I will talk to Sarah and see what she thinks. I think it would be a great opportunity for her to spend some time with the kids."

"You will have to let me know as soon as possible. I'll have to order in advance to get eight tickets all together."

"But I am warning you now, I cannot follow hockey. SO I am liable to ask a million questions."

"Sometime between now and then you and Sarah can come over to my place. I will cook you dinner and we will watch a game on the flat screen. I will teach you both hoe to follow hockey. And if we all survive this game, then next year I will get us tickets to a Yankees game."

"Sounds good." Olivia smiled. She loved that he was trying so hard to get them all together to do things as a family.


	14. 14 Taken

The Black Market Baby Scandal

(Chapter Fourteen: Taken) 

_**TWO MONTHS LATER:**_

_Elliot and Olivia stood on the doorstep of Dana Shaw's house. Olivia pulled her phone from her pocket to read a new text message as she smiled._

"_What's that?" Elliot asked._

"_It was Sarah letting me know she made it home alright."_

"_You got her a cell phone?"_

"_Yes, I did. I want her to keep in touch with me during the day while I am not with her. I am still nervous about this custody thing and I like for her to let me know where she is and who she is with."_

"_She's with Maureen, Liv."_

"_I know that. But I want Sarah to know she can reach me if she needs me. And for an extra twelve dollars a month on my bill I have the peace of mind of knowing where my child is at all times."_

"_And if she doesn't check in?"_

"_She doesn't have to. The phone has a GPS thing. I can look at it on my phone and know where she is."_

"_Where the phone is?"_

_Olivia stared at him. "Well, yeah. But she does really good at checking in. And she is a very responsible girl, I don't think getting her a cell phone was a bad thing. She doesn't go over her minutes. And she only sends me texts during the day while I am at work. But I can call her and check on her any time. And I don't feel so much like I am neglecting her, by leaving her alone so much."_

"_You're not neglecting her. Olivia you have to work to provide for her. And she is not alone. She is with her sister for two hours a day and you call to check on her at least twice during that time. She is fine."_

_Just then Dana Shaw opened the door. "Olivia. And Detective Stabler, please come in."_

_They entered the living room and sat down on the couch. Olivia clutched a file in her hand._

"_You said on the phone that you may have some news in Devon's case?"_

"_Not as much news as I would like to give you, I'm afraid." Olivia said. "But it is progress and I wanted to update you. I am sorry this is taking so long. We are working to try and bring your son home to you."_

"_I just appreciate that you are so hard on this. Everyone else has pretty much given up on him. On us. No one can imagine what we sit here every night thinking. I don't know where my child is, if he is safe or sick or hurt. But you seem driven to help us to find him."_

"_I do know what you are feeling. I know because I was there, not too long ago. But we found my daughter. And now she is home with me. And we are working hard to get our lives back on track. I want so badly to be able to bring your son home to you. And I won't stop until I can."_

"_Thank you," Dana said fighting back tears._

_Olivia smiled and took a deep breath trying to calm herself. "Right now I need you to take a look at something. We were able to track down some of the children who were taken and sold. Unfortunately, identifying them is harder than we thought. We have to locate the families before a judge will give us permission to get a DNA profile on the children. I have to show a judge evidence to support my theory that a child belongs to you before they will let us complete the DNA test to find out."_

"_That sounds a little harsh."_

"_Maybe so and it does slow our investigation quite a bit. But they are trying to protect these kids. Dana we have found a boy, he is the same age your son would be. And I would like you to get a look at him."_

_Olivia pulled an eight by ten photograph from the file in her hand. It was a school photograph of an eleven year old boy. She laid the picture on the coffee table in front of Dana._

"_This is my son?"_

"_I believe so." _

_Dana picked up the photograph to look at it. Olivia stood up and walked over to look at the Shaw children's pictures hanging on the wall. She reached up and pulled down a frame and returned to her seat on the couch. She sat the frame down on the coffee table. _

"_I remembered seeing this photograph. It could be the same exact photo."_

"_That is my son Daniel. He was twelve in that picture."_

_Dana reached for the frame and pulled Daniel's picture out to hold it next to the picture of the boy Olivia had brought with them._

"_They could be twins," Elliot remarked looking at the pictures side by side._

_Olivia smiled. "Their freckles are a different pattern, other than that you would almost think it was the same boy."_

"_Oh my God," Dana said softly as tears fell from her eyes._

"_Dana, I would like to borrow this picture to show the judge if that is alright with you. I promise I will bring it back."_

"_Yeah," she agreed nodding her head. "Thank you, both of you so much for finding him."_

"_You are welcome. But I am afraid this is not over yet. We have to get the results back for the DNA test. Then if he is your biological child, there is a series of steps you have to go through. It is not as easy as picking him up and bringing him home."_

"_What things do I have to do?"_

"_Well, for starters another family has raised him all of this time. They believed the means they took to adopt this child were legal. They had no way of knowing that the baby they brought home was stolen from his mother. In my case they worked out a temporary visitation. The child remained with the family who was raising her and I began to get visitations a couple of times a month. Then I had to formally adopt her. I am waiting for that to go through now. She is living with me for ninety days and if all goes well after that time is up I will have sole custody of my daughter."_

"_So in a way this is just beginning?"_

"_I hope so," Olivia answered. "I will call you as soon as I find out if the judge approves the DNA test."_

"_Okay," Dana smiled. "I really appreciate this. All of this."_

_In the car on the way back Olivia studied the photographs as Elliot drove. He turned to look at her and smiled._

"_You were really great back there."_

_Olivia raised her eyes to look at him. "I just know what she is going through."_

"_Well, taking that few minutes out of our busy day really made her feel better about the progress of the case. Although, I am pretty sure we were not supposed to show her the picture of the boy they found."_

"_He is her son, Elliot. Just as much as Sarah was my daughter."_

"_This case has changed you."_

"_How is that?"_

"_Relax," he said slipping his hand into hers and smiling. "I didn't say that was a bad thing. You just seem to be really in touch with this one. I am sure it is because you are personally involved. But I think it is really great. And I think that you are the only reason we are making any progress on this case at all."_

"_You have been a lot of help."_

"_We make a great team."_

"_Yes, we do." Olivia smiled at him. "I want to call Sarah," she said dialing the number and putting the phone to her ear. _

_Elliot smiled and shook his head._

_That evening Olivia helped Sarah gather her things for her weekend visit with the Jensen's. _

"_They are supposed to be here to pick you up after dinner," Olivia said handing Sarah her plate of food._

"_Okay," Sarah replied softly._

_Olivia sat at the table across from her daughter._

"_How was school today?"_

"_It was good."_

"_Did you get your homework finished?"_

"_Yes. It's in my bag."_

"_Good job." Olivia exhaled and watched Sarah stir her food around with her fork. "Not hungry?"_

"_Not really. I'm sorry."_

"_It's okay. Do you want to talk about whatever it is that's bothering you?"_

"_What?" Sarah looked up at Olivia, with tears welling in her eyes._

"_Sarah, honey obviously something is bothering you. You might feel better if we talked about it. If you don't want to, that is okay too."_

"_It's nothing. I was just thinking that I would rather be here with you."_

"_You don't want to spend the weekend with the Jensen's?"_

"_Lately when I go over there they are kind of weird. They whisper a lot and talk in the other room. I think I made them angry when I told the judge I wanted to live with you. Do I have to go?"_

"_Until the adoption goes through, yes. I am afraid so honey. It is in the court papers. But a few more weeks and Elliot and I will have legally adopted you. Then you wont have to visit anyone you don't want to. If you decide you don't want to go, you wont have to."_

"_Can I still see my grandma?"_

"_Yeah. I will take you to see her any time you would like."_

_Sarah smiled as they heard the buzzer._

"_I'll go get my things."_

"_Hey you, come here." Olivia pulled Sarah into her arms and hugged her tight. "Just a little longer baby, I promise. We are almost through this." She brushed her palm over Sarah's cheek and stared into her eyes. "I love you so much."_

"_I love you, too." Sarah wrapped her arms around Olivia and hugged her again. "I don't want to be without you ever again."_

"_Sarah, I am going to do everything I can to make sure that we don't have to be." Olivia kissed her softly. "Go on and get your things. I'll walk you down."_

_Sarah disappeared down the hallway and returned a little while later with her stuff._

"_Do you have your phone?"_

"_Right here."_

"_Good. You can call me any time you want. Send me texts. Try to have a good weekend and I will see you on Sunday afternoon. I am going to miss you so much."_

"_I'm gonna miss you, too."_

_Olivia walked Sarah down to the Jensen's SUV and waved at her as they drove away. _

_The next night Elliot came over with pizza and beer to watch a hockey game. She was kind of hoping that something would happen. What, she wasn't exactly sure. They laughed and talked and she ached for his touch, to feel his mouth against hers. But it didn't happen._

_Maybe is was for the better, she thought for a moment as she walked him toward the door. Maybe this was too soon. She wanted to allow Sarah time to settle in and to get their lives straightened out before she started dating again. Even if it was Elliot. Maybe it would be best if they waited until after the adoption was final and life was back to normal. When she could give their relationship the attention it deserves. _

"_I had a lot of fun tonight," Elliot said smiling at her._

"_So did I," Olivia said gazing into his eyes. She leaned against the wall beside the door and watched him put his coat on to leave._

_Elliot stared into her eyes and cupped his hand on the side of her face. He traced his fingertip over her jaw line then finally leaned in to kiss her. Olivia sighed gently and tipped her head as Elliot continued his kisses down her neck and onto her collarbone. Moments later his mouth returned to hers._

"_You think I have not been thinking about it, too?" He asked her. "All night. And every day. Every time I look into your eyes. But I think you were right. We should try to hold off just a little longer. Wait until this probation period is over and we have custody of Sarah. No chance of losing her. Let's get her first. Then I promise you we will focus on this."_

_Olivia smiled. "Okay," she said softly._

_Elliot kissed her forehead and placed another soft kiss on her lips then headed for his car. _

_Sunday Olivia joined Elliot for church. That afternoon she waited for Sarah's return, but the time came and went and the Jensen's never arrived with her. Worried, Olivia called Elliot to try and figure out what to do. Elliot picked her up and they headed to the Jensen house to get their daughter. But when they arrived no one was home. Infact it appeared no one had been home for a while._

_The house was cleaned out and the cars were gone. The stack of news papers on the porch made it appear that no one had been home in days._

"_Oh my God," Olivia said looking up at Elliot. "They took her. They took her and they ran with her."_

"_I'm calling the police," Elliot said raising his phone to his face._

_It began to rain and Olivia began to cry. She sat down on the step and opened her cell phone. She looked at the screen to see where Sarah's phone was. Somewhere in the house, still and she hadn't gotten a message from her since just after the Jensen's picked her up on Friday._

"_They are on their way. They put out an Amber alert on Sarah and released the make and model of the vehicle to the media. They are doing everything they can to find her," Elliot said sitting down on the step beside her._

"_She didn't want to go. She told me that at dinner Friday night while we were waiting for them to arrive. We talked about it and she said that after the adoption went through she didn't want to have to go on visitations to their house anymore. God, Elliot I made her go. I have had this awful feeling about these people and I sent my child home with them."_

"_You didn't have a choice. If you didn't send her, you would have lost her."_

"_We have to find her, Elliot."_

"_We will." _


	15. 15 Promises Made

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Fifteen: Promises Made)_

**THREE WEEKS LATER:**

Elliot woke up alone in Olivia's bed. He sat up and stared at the empty room around him. She had really been struggling since the Jensen's had abducted Sarah. She wasn't eating and had barely slept. One night after Elliot had come over to watch a movie, they fell asleep together on the couch. That was the first night she had slept through the night in weeks. So for the last few nights Elliot had been staying with her. Laying beside her and holding her until she fell asleep.

Elliot climbed from the bed and walked down the hall and into the living room, it was empty as well. He checked the kitchen and the bathroom, before heading back down the hall toward the bedroom. On the way he stopped in front of Sarah's bedroom door. Elliot placed his palm flat against the door for a moment and closed his eyes. He wanted so badly to open the door to find Sarah safely asleep in her bed, but he know that was not going to happen.

He turned the door know gently and pushed the door open. There curled up asleep in Sarah's bed, was Olivia. Elliot walked across the room and brushed his thumb across her forehead. He could tell by the tear stains on her face that she had fallen asleep crying. She held tight to Sarah's pillow and in the other hand she gripped a snow globe with a picture of Sarah and Olivia in it.

Elliot slipped the snow globe from her hand and sat it on the nightstand beside the bed. He pulled the throw blanked from the back to the chair across the room and covered Olivia with it. He leaned in and kissed her forehead gently and turned to go back to bed.

"El?" She whispered.

"Yeah?"

"You can stay," she said scooting to the other side of the bed to make room for him.

Elliot walked over and laid down facing her. He raised one hand to comb through her hair and stared into her eyes.

"I just miss her so much," she whispered as her tears rose again.

"I know baby, so do I. I promise you, I will bring her home to you."

Elliot scooted in against her and wrapped his arms tight around her, holding her until they were both asleep again.

Two hours later Elliot woke up alone again. He walked into Olivia's bedroom to hear the shower running in the bathroom. He moved down the hall to the kitchen to start some breakfast.

Olivia entered the kitchen and sat on a stool at the bar looking at him. She raised her hand to sit the snow globe on the counter top.

"You barely slept last night. Why don't you take a personal day?" He asked sliding a cup of coffee across the counter to her.

"It wouldn't do any good. I will just sit around here and think about her. At least if I go to work I can do something to try to bring her back. Or bring someone else's child home."

Elliot sat a plate of pancakes in front of her.

"You made pancakes?"

"With peanut butter. I thought you could use a little cheering up."

"You cooked breakfast on a work day?"

"Yes, I did. We were up and we have plenty of time. I figured we should get in a good meal before work."

Olivia smiled as Elliot cut a piece of peanut butter smeared pancake and raised it to her mouth.

"How are they?" He asked.

"Mmm good," she mumbled through a mouth full of pancake as she tried not to laugh.

An hour later they sat at their desks at work. As she stared at the picture inside the snow globe. Elliot was right when he said that Sarah could have been a carbon copy of Olivia. They even had the same dimples. She tipped the glass globe until the tiny little snow flakes swirled around inside it once more.

"Olivia?"

She heard Cragen's voice bark.

"Huh?" She raised her eyes to look at him.

"I said I got your DNA results on the Harper kid. Another match. You should call the parents and have them contact their lawyer."

"Yeah. I'm on it," she said scratching the back of her head.

"Are you sure you don't want to take some time?"

"I'm fine, Cap."

"Olivia, you know we are doing everything we can?"

"I know."

"We just didn't have much to work with. And we have not had many leads."

"Mmhmm."

"Honey, I would give anything to be able to bring her home to you. And the moment we find something out, you will know."

"Okay," she said softly fighting back tears. "Now if you will excuse me, I have to go tell this couple that I found their son." She stood up ad grabbed her car keys off her desk an walked toward the elevator.

A while later Elliot called her.

"Hello," she said and sounded exhausted.

"Hey, I was going to see if you wanted to grab some lunch."

"Oh, I have to be in court in an hour. I'll probably just grab something really quick."

"Where you been all day?"

"I went and talked to the Harper's and gave them the news about Joshua. Then I went to check in on Dana Shaw and see how things were doing with them."

"How is that working out?"

"Well they got Devon back, his name is Mark now. They have just started the adoption process and right now share joint custody with the other parents. She asked about Sarah." Olivia got quiet for a minute.

"What did you tell her, Liv?"

"I lied to her."

"What?"

"I told her everything was fine. And it almost made me sick to do it. I couldn't tell her what happened, Elliot. It would scare the Hell out of her. She is going through all of this right now, I don't need to be putting bad thoughts into her head."

"I am sure she would have understood."

"No, El. She deserves to be happy. I don't want her to worry every moment that someone might take off with her son."

"How are you doing?"

"I'm surviving. I miss my kid. But she is gone and there is not a damn thing I can do about it. Cragen tried to talk to me about it this morning. But he didn't know what to say. It just got awkward for both of us and I almost cried. I had to get out of there. I didn't mean to ditch you."

"It's okay. If you need a little time, I understand. You are going through a tough time right now."

Olivia exhaled loudly. "Yeah. Listen, I should go. I think I am going to head in a little early and talk to Casey. Then I have to go in and start my testimony against the good doctor. I am really looking forward to that, let me tell you. I have to sit on the stand and tell a group of strangers about how they drugged me and sent me into premature labor just so that they could steal and sell my baby."

"I wish I could be there for support."

"It's okay," she whispered. "You probably have better things to do than to watch me break down and cry on the stand."

"Why don't we go out for dinner tonight? My treat."

"I don't know. I'm kind of having a bad day. And I am sure court wont make it any better."

"Please, we have not been out to dinner in weeks."

"We'll see. I'm just not so sure I am going to feel up to it."

"Alright. Call me when you get out of court. I will see you later."

"Bye, El."

She hung up the phone and climbed the steps in front of the courthouse.

Two hours later Elliot received a call from a parent just across the new Jersey state line. The woman said that she saw a girl while dropping her son off at school that morning and recognized her as Sarah. Elliot tried to call Olivia, but her phone was turned off while she was in court.

"Fin, go with me to check this out."

"No problem."

In the car on the way there Fin turned to look at Elliot. "You know if this girl does turn out to be Sarah we can't go in and take her. We have to call in the feds. They crossed the state line with her, it becomes an F.B.I. case."

"I don't give a shit about the feds, I just want my kid back."

"I understand, man. I could only imagine what you and Liv are going through. But if we don't follow protocol, we can cause problems with the case. Not to mention Sarah's adoption has not yet gone through."

Elliot looked at Fin. "You're right. I can't risk screwing this up now. Okay, we get to the school I will wait in the hall. You get a look at the girl and see if it is Sarah. Don't let her see you. I don't want to upset her. You let me know and I'll make the call. I will see if they will give us permission to move."

"Elliot, I really hope it is her."

"Me too, Fin. Me, too."

They entered the school and walked toward the admissions office. The principal was able to identify Sarah's picture as the child she had enrolled in her school. Elliot put in the call to the F.B.I. who sent a team on their way to meet them back at the station. He and Fin waited for the local deputies to arrive before moving to get Sarah.

Fin and Elliot followed the principal down the hall toward Sarah's class room. They wanted to do this as calmly as possible and take custody quickly. The end of the school day was drawing near and they hoped to have Sarah in custody and be able to pick up the Jensen's as they arrived to pick the girl up from school.

"I want you to go in and get her," Elliot said looking at the principal. "I want to get her out here and away from the other children. I want this to be a simple as possible and I don't want to upset Sarah or the other kids. When you bring her out, close the classroom door. We will wait down the hall."

"Yes, sir." She opened the door and entered the class room.

Fin and Elliot got into position. The woman had left the door open when she entered the class room and they could hear the conversation going on inside.

"I need Sarah Jensen to come with me please," the principal said to the teacher.

"My name is not Sarah Jensen, it is Sarah Stabler!" The girl declared loudly.

"So much for not upsetting her," Fin said as Elliot laughed.

"Hey, that's my kid." He smiled proudly in anticipation as they heard the class room door shut.

"Am I in trouble?" Sarah asked nervously looking up at the principal.

"Should you be?" Elliot asked from the end of the hallway.

"Elliot!" Sarah called out with excitement as she ran down the hallway leaping into his open arms.

"Hi honey. How are you doing?" He asked checking her over.

"I'm good. I really missed you!"

"I really missed you too baby," Elliot said kissing the top of her head and thanking God they had found her safe.

"Is this a friend of yours, miss Sarah?" The principal asked.

"No, he's my dad." She said with a smile.

She wrapped her arms around Elliot's thick neck to hug him again.

"I am so glad that you came for me. I don't want to move to Florida."

"Why would you move to Florida?"

"The Jensen's said that is where our new house is. He had to work and get a few more checks then we were moving again."

"You are not going anywhere. I am going to take you home to Olivia."

"She isn't mad at me?"

"No, sweetheart. Why would you think Olivia was mad at you?"

"Because I said I would see her on Sunday and then I didn't come back."

"Baby, that is not your fault. Olivia is not mad at you. She was really worried, she loves you very much and has missed you like crazy, we both have. But she would never be mad at you over something like this."

"The Jensen's said that the judge called and changed his mind. They said I had to live with them now and I couldn't go back to Olivia. I don't want to live with them."

"Look at me, baby. They lied to a lot of people about a lot of things. They were supposed to take you back to Olivia that Sunday. They kidnapped you Sarah. But I am here now. And Fin and I are going to take you back to Olivia."

Sarah nodded her head and Elliot took her by the hand and lead her out to the front of the school where his car was waiting. As they got out there Mr. & Mrs. Jensen climbed from their car and began to walk toward him.

"What the Hell are you doing here?" Mrs. Jensen yelled at Elliot pointing. "You get away from her!"

Elliot knelt down to look Sarah in the eyes. "I need you to do me a big favor, okay?"

"Yeah."

"I want you to go with this officer. You see my car right over there."

"Yes."

"She is going to take you to my car. Can you go over there and wait for me for a few minutes with this nice officer?"

"Okay."

"Thank you baby," Elliot said as Sarah hugged him tight and he kissed her. "Wait with her at my car," he said placing Sarah's hand inside the woman's.

"Yes, detective."

Once Sarah was safely inside the car, Fin and Elliot reached for their handcuffs and placed the Jensen's under arrest.

Mrs. Jensen began to struggle and argue with Elliot.

"I wouldn't do that. Do you really want her to see you resisting arrest?" He said as Mrs. Jensen looked at Sarah looking at them from the back window of Elliot's car.

"Are we really going to jail?"

"Lady, you kidnapped a child from her mother and crossed the state line with a minor. What you did was a federal offense. You are going to prison."

Elliot escorted her down the hill and placed her into the back seat of another squad car. He and Fin watched as the car pulled away heading back to the local station where the Jensen's would be held until the F.B.I. arrived to deal with them.

They climbed into the car and closed the doors as Elliot turned the key in the ignition. He turned and looked over his shoulder at Sarah in the back seat. "How are you doing baby?"

Sarah nodded her head.

"Let's go back to the station and see Olivia."

"Yeah."

When Olivia got out of court she had a dozen missed calls from Elliot. She tried to call him, but got no answer. A few minutes later she got a text from him. _'We need you back at the station now.' _

"Okay," Olivia said aloud as she started her car.

She stepped off the elevator and walked into the bullpen as she was playing with her phone. She closed it and raised her head to see the small form of a young girl sitting in her chair. Sarah was wearing Elliot's jacket and playing with the snow globe on Olivia's desk while she waited patiently for her mother to return from court and take her home.

"Oh my God," Olivia said as she stopped in her tracks. She brushed her hands over her face for a moment not believing what she saw. "Sarah?" She asked walking to the girl.

"Hi Liv," Sarah said softly looking up at her.

Olivia dropped to her knees and wrapped her arms around her daughter. She held her tight in her arms and kissed her forehead as her tears began to fall. "I missed you so much, baby. I am so glad to see you."

"I missed you, too. I am sorry."

"Honey, this was not your fault."

"I tried to call you from my phone, but she walked in and took it from me. I never got it back."

"I can get another cell phone. I only have one daughter. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. I'm hungry, but I'm okay."

Olivia kissed her again as she heard Elliot's voice behind her. "I was talking to the F.B.I. when you called. I'm sorry I didn't answer."

"The F.B.I.?"

"We picked her up from a school in Jersey. The tip was phoned in by a mother who saw her while dropping her son off at school. Fin and I went to check it out."

"You did this?"

"I promised you I would bring our daughter home."

"Thank you," she mouthed staring into his eyes through her tears.

"You are very welcome. I believe I owe you ladies some dinner."

"Yeah, I am starving."

"Starving, Liv. We'd better feed her."

Sarah laughed.

"What are you hungry for?"

"Ummm….steak."

"You eat steak?"

"I like steak."

"Steak it is."

Elliot took them out for dinner, steak dinner. That night Olivia checked in on Sarah sound asleep before going to bed.

"I should go," Elliot said looking into her eyes.

"You can stay, if you want. I sleep better with you here. I just done want her to see us sleeping in here together."

"I can move to the couch, before she gets up for school."

Olivia pulled back the blankets and crawled into bed. Elliot slid in beside her and she rolled over to settle against him.

"Elliot?"

"Yes?"

"Thank you so much," she said looking up into his eyes.

"No problem. We got our girl back," he said kissing her forehead.

"You are what pulled me through this in one piece. Without you I would have gone insane."

"I couldn't let that happen now could I?"

Olivia stared into his eyes as Elliot kissed her softly.

"Good night, Olivia."

"Good night."


	16. 16 My Girl

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Sixteen: My Girl)_

It was two days until Sarah's twelfth birthday and Olivia was helping her plan a slumber party. She had a list of nine girls, including two from their building and Elizabeth Stabler. On another list snacks, movies and music she wanted to download for her party.

Olivia pulled up in front of Sarah's school and parked her car. She got out and walked up the front steps and went inside to sign her daughter out. After the abduction she had it arranged with the school to hold Sarah in the office after class. She was to stay there and wait until one of the people cleared on the list to pick her up came in to show identification and signed her out.

"Hi," Olivia said with a smile as she saw her daughter sitting in a chair in the office holding her back pack.

"Hi Liv," Sarah said as she stood up and pulled the strap of her bag over her shoulder.

"How was school?"

"Good," Sarah said with a smile. "I got an A on my Spelling test."

"Great job. You have been studying hard for that one. What do you say we get some ice cream after dinner to celebrate?"

"Really?"

"Yeah. I thought while we were out we could do some shopping and get the stuff for your party. Then we could grab some dinner."

"Sounds good."

"Did you decide where you want to have your birthday dinner?"

"Not yet," she said with a smile. "But can we have it with Elliot and his kids come, too?"

"Sure," Olivia said holding Sarah's hand as they walked to her car. "It's a family dinner. They are your family now."

Sarah smiled. "I like having family. Brothers and sisters and a father and _my_ mother. My real mother. It sucks being alone."

"It does suck being alone," Olivia agreed. "But you had the Jensen's and the Foster's before that."

"The Jensen's weren't my family. They were nice for a while. But if they didn't get their check on time they got angry."

"Their check? The money they got for being your foster parents?"

"Yeah. But I loved the Foster's. Olivia, until you came to see me at the Jensen's house I didn't know that the Foster's weren't my real mom and dad."

"I know that, sweetheart. It's okay for you to love them. They were good people and they loved you very much. Sarah, the Foster's didn't do anything wrong. They adopted you because they loved you."

"They didn't steal me from you?"

"No. They wanted a baby to love so much. Then when the doctor told them about you, he probably told them that you didn't have a mom or a dad. They didn't know that he stole you from me."

"I'm just glad that we don't have to worry about it any more. I get to stay with you, right? Forever?"

"We are still waiting for the judge to say so. But it looks really good. We jus have to wait for the judge to sign the papers. It could be any day now."

"I hope he says its okay. I don't want to go back to foster care."

"We're doing everything we can honey. I don't want to lose you either." Olivia combed her fingers through her daughter's hair. "You know what I was thinking?"

"What?"

"I was thinking that maybe we could get a cake and go visit your grandma. So she can share in you birthday. It has been a few weeks since you have seen her. I'll bet she would be really happy to see you."

"Yeah? I can go visit Nana?"

"Sure. Infact, why don't you use my phone to call and see if she is home? We can go visit her after we do our shopping."

"Okay," Sarah said with a smile.

Olivia kissed her little girl's forehead. She could only imagine the pain her daughter had been through. Pain no child should ever have to face. And Sarah lived with it every single day of her life.

A few hours later Olivia pulled up in front of Rosemary Foster. Olivia stepped from the car as Sarah climbed out and closed the door. In her hands she held the flowers she had picked out especially for her grandmother.

Olivia carried a small round birthday cake. German chocolate, Sarah's favorite, Olivia's favorite as well. They walked up the steps and rang the door bell and the woman welcomed them into her home.

Olivia watched the excitement in Sarah's eyes as she hugged the woman tight and told her how much she loved her. It was important to Olivia for Sarah to keep contact with her grandmother. This woman was the only constant in her life from the time she was a baby. And Olivia like the idea of her having a grandmother. Serena Benson had been dead for years and even Elliot's mother was now deceased, this was the only grandparent the little girl would ever have.

Sarah opened some gifts from her grandmother. Jewelry and some perfume and clothes. Sarah went into the other room to try on the new outfit Rosemary had given her for her birthday, leaving Olivia and Rosemary alone in the room for a few moments.

"Can I get you some coffee?" The woman asked politely.

"That would be nice," Olivia answered with a smile.

"How do you take it?"

"Milk and sweetener." The woman handed her the cup and Olivia took a sip. "Thank you."

"You are doing a wonderful job with her."

"Thanks," Olivia said with a smile. "I'm trying to do what is best for her."

"She's happy. That is what is most important, that a child is happy. I have seen her smile more in the half hour she has been here with you than the entire time she lived with the Jensen's. And Sarah is not a difficult child to please. She has always been such a happy child. Even through everything she has experienced."

"She has been through more than anyone should ever have to go through, especially a child."

"I am sorry for everything that you have endured. But I want you to know that from the moment that child entered our lives, from the time my son brought her home, she was very loved. They never meant to steal anyone's baby. They couldn't have a child of their own. That doctor came to them and told them he knew of a baby who needed a family. A little girl. And she was little, such a tiny little thing."

"I know they were not involved. And I know that they loved her. I thank God every day for bringing her to them. For giving her a loving family who cared for her, when I couldn't be there with her."

"And I thank you for bringing her around here to see me. The judge said that once she was adopted I have no rights to her anymore."

"I am not going to take her from you. I don't want to take you from her. I have no family, just her. You are the only grandparent she has. I want her to be able to see you."

"I have always known that child had something wonderful inside her heart. Now I know, she gets more than just her looks from her mother. She is an amazing little girl. She gets that from you."

Olivia smiled as Rosemary squeezed her hand. "All I want it to protect her. To give her everything that she deserves and for her to be happy."

"I have never seen her happier. You are doing a great job. And she loves you so much. When I talk to her on the phone everything is Olivia this and Olivia that, or my mom this or that. She adores you and she looks up to you. And sometimes she talks about her new father."

Olivia smiled. "Elliot. He is a really good guy. He has been my best friend for almost twelve years and he loves her. They wouldn't let me adopt her unless I could provide a father figure for her. So Elliot adopted her as well. Now she has a mother and a father and five brothers and sisters. And she has you. She has a family, an amazing family. A little unconventional, but she has a large extended family full of people who love her and would do anything for her."

"And that is all that any little girl could ask for."

"There she is," Olivia said with a smile as Sarah walked back into the room.

"You guys were talking about me weren't you?"

"As a matter of fact we were," Rosemary said hugging her granddaughter. "Olivia and I were just talking about how great it is that you have this nice big family that loves you so much. Do you like your clothes?"

"Yes. I like the pink shirt the best. Thank you, Nana."

"You are welcome baby."

Sarah hugged her grandmother. "I love you."

"I love you too, honey."

After they had cake Olivia carried Sarah's things to the car, while Sarah told her grandmother goodbye.

"I'll call you tomorrow Nana and tell you what all of my presents were."

"Okay, sweetheart."

Sarah climbed into the back seat and buckled her seat belt. She waved good bye from the back seat as Olivia drove away.

The next morning Olivia took Sarah breakfast in bed. It was Saturday, Sarah's birthday and the day of her party. For Sunday they had a family dinner planned with Elliot and the other Stabler children at Sarah's favorite restaurant. But today was her day.

" Sarah, wake up sleepy head." Olivia sat the tray of food down on the desk across the room and climbed into bed with Sarah. "Hey you. Time to get up. I brought you your favorite breakfast and your friends will be here in just a few hours. We still have to go to the video store."

"Ummm, ten more minutes." Sarah groaned pulling her blankets over her head.

Olivia laughed and laid down beside her in the bed. She pulled the blanket back from her face and watched her resting. She raised her fingertip and traced it gently down the bridge of Sarah's nose until her brown eyes fluttered open.

"Come on," Olivia whispered, "your breakfast is getting cold. It is your favorite."

"Elliot's pancakes are my favorite."

Olivia smiled.

Sarah smiled a big smile. "Elliot's here?"

"You don't think I would miss out of fixing you pancakes for your birthday breakfast do you?" Elliot said as he stepped into the bedroom.

Sarah sat up in her bed and smiled. "Good morning Elliot."

"Good morning, honey."

"You came all the way over here just to cook me pancakes for breakfast?"

"You bet. With chocolate chips, just the way you like them."

Sarah sat up in the bed as Olivia handed her the tray. On it a large stack of chocolate chip pancakes with whipped cream and a candle stuck right in the middle of them.

"Thanks!"

That evening Olivia sat around her living room with ten girls in pajamas as they painted fingernails and she gave make up tips. The girls sang karaoke and danced around the apartment to their favorite music. Olivia ordered pizza and had plenty of soda and junk food to go around.

Around ten o'clock Olivia walked through the living room and stopped to look down at the sleeping girls. Scattered around the room between them were bowls of popcorn, bags of potato chips, cans of soda and the coffee table was covered with M&M's, Twizzlers and Skittles.

She smiled as she turned off the lamp beside the couch and pushed the button on the remote to turn off the television. She made sure everyone was covered up and kissed Sarah's forehead.

"I love you baby," she whispered softly as she turned to head toward her bedroom.

"Good night Liv," she heard Sarah say from behind her.

"Good night honey."

Sunday night Olivia and Sarah met up with Elliot and the kids for dinner and their little family birthday party. They gave her gifts and had cake and ice cream. Sunday night before Sarah went to bed she came into Olivia's bedroom to talk.

"Hey birthday girl," Olivia said twisting Sarah's long hair in her fingers.

"Hey."

"So, did you have a good birthday?"

"Yes. I had fun at my party and at dinner tonight."

"Good. It didn't embarrass you having your mom at your party?"

"No. You're cool. You're fun to hang out with and all of my friends love you."

Olivia laughed. "They do, huh?"

"Yeah. Jessica even said that she wished her mom was as pretty and ad cool as mine."

Olivia smiled again. "You got some good gifts."

"Yeah. Can I get my hair cut?"

"You want to? How do you want it cut?" Olivia combed her fingers through Sarah's long dark hair.

"I don't know. Like to my shoulders or a little longer. Just something different. It has always been like this."

"I think if you really want to, it would be okay. We can go to my hairdresser and you can look at pictures and decide what you want. I can call her and see if we can get an appointment this week sometime."

"Okay."

"Did you brush your teeth?"

"Yes."

"Homework is done?"

"Yes."

"I cannot believe my little baby is twelve years old now. You know what? I have something I want to show you." Olivia walked to the closet and pulled a box from the top shelf. She sat down on the bed beside Sarah and took the lid off then pulled out a soft baby blanket.

"This was mine?" Sarah asked with a smile.

"Yes. This was what they wrapped you in when they brought you to me, just after you were born. After you were taken, I used to fall asleep holding your blanket. I slept like that for months. I missed you so much."

"I bet I cried a lot."

"Why do you say that?"

"Because I missed you, too."

Olivia smiled. "This is the bracelet they put around your wrist."

"It is so tiny."

"You were a tiny baby. This one was on your ankle and this one was mine. And this is the little pink bow the nurse put in your hair when she brought you to me. That is all I have. You were taken before I got any pictures of you."

"I have some pictures."

"You do?"

"Yeah. I have a book, from when I was a baby. Nana gave it to me when I went to live with the Jensen's. I'll go get it."

Olivia watched as Sarah climbed from the bed and ran down the hall in her lion house slippers to get the photo album. She returned a few minutes later and climbed into bed beside Olivia as they opened the album.

The first section was like a baby book. With pictures of her first steps and first birthday. They flipped through the book and Olivia felt tears welling up in her eyes as she watched her daughter grow up in pictures.

"Liv?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"I think we should make copies of these pictures and make you a book, too. That way we both have one. Then you will have baby pictures of me."

"I think that is a great idea," she said fighting tears.

"I didn't mean for it to make you sad."

"I know sweetheart. It just makes me think of how much I missed you. And how glad I am that I have you back now."

"Liv?"

"Yes?"

"Can I sleep in here with you tonight?"

She smiled and gazed lovingly into Sarah's eyes. "I'd like that."

Olivia reached to put the things back into the box.

"Can I hold on to the blanket?" Sarah asked.

"Sure," Olivia said sitting the box aside and pulling back the blankets of her bed for them to climb under. She watched as Sarah settled in against her pillow holding tight to the blanket. Olivia leaned over and kissed the top of Sarah's head. "What if we get some filling stuff and make this blanket a pillow."

"A pillow?"

"Yeah, a pillow for your bed. Then you can have it with you all of the time."

"That would be cool."

Olivia turned out the light and rolled over to look at Sarah. She held the blanket to her nose and smelled it as she smiled. "It smells like you."

"It does? It has been in that box for years."

"It is comforting," she said with a yawn. "Good night, Olivia. I love you."

"Good night, Sarah. I love you, too."


	17. 17 Set Up

_**The Black Market Baby Scandal**_

_**(Chapter Seventeen: Set Up)**_

**Olivia sat at the bar in her white knee length dress sipping a Shirley Temple. Her hair was pinned up and her makeup done perfectly as she stirred the straw in her drink and waited. She couldn't believe she had let her daughter talk her into this. **

**She turned on her barstool as her eyes scanned the room, but she didn't see him. She took a deep breath and exhaled her annoyance as she stared into her empty class and ordered another drink. **

**She let her fingertips dance across the bar until they reached her cell phone then she dialed the apartment number to check on Sarah.**

"**Hey."**

"**Hi, Olivia. How's your date going?"**

"**Not so well. I am sitting here by myself."**

"**He's late?"**

"**Honey, I am not so sure being set up on a date by a couple of eleven year olds was a good idea."**

"**Liv, I'm twelve."**

"**Sorry."**

"**And trust me, it was a good idea."**

"**You have met this guy?"**

"**Yes. And he is handsome and he likes kids."**

"**That is good. And this is your friend Niccole's dad?"**

"**No, Amy."**

"**Oh, but I have never met Amy or her dad?"**

"**No."**

"**Sarah, sweetheart, I really appreciate everything you are trying to do here. But I really think maybe you and Amy should leave the dating arrangements to the grown ups."**

"**I thought you wanted to go?"**

"**Honey," Olivia exhaled, "I came because you were so excited about the idea. But to be completely honest Sarah, I hate blind dates. I think I am going to come home."**

"**No! Just give him a few more minutes, please! You are already there. Maybe he is just nervous. Or traffic was bad or something."**

"**Sarah, this is Manhattan. When isn't traffic bad?"**

"**Please. Ten more minutes. Please."**

"**Okay, ten more minutes. Then I am coming home, taking a hot bath and going to bed."**

"**There aren't any guys there with a white rose?"**

**Olivia turned around to scan the room again. "Nope."**

"**Hmm. I'll call Amy and find out if he has left yet. Then I will call you back. Don't leave!"**

"**Okay." Olivia laughed at the fact that she was now taking direction form a bossy twelve year old as she hung up the phone. She laid the phone on the bar in front of her as she pressed her lips together. She pulled a mirror from her purse and checked her makeup one more time. Just then her phone rang again.**

"**Hello."**

"**Liv, he's on his way. Don't leave. He will be there in just a few minutes."**

"**I don't know what I was thinking letting you talk me into this."**

"**You were thinking the same thing I was. It has been a long time since you had a date."**

**Olivia laughed. "Yes, it has. But no more of this, okay? I will do it this once. No more set ups. Deal?"**

"**Okay, deal."**

"**I love you."**

"**I love you, too."**

"**Let me talk to Maureen for a minute."**

"**Okay. Maureen, my mom wants to talk to you."**

"**Hi, Liv. How's your date going?"**

"**Well, it hasn't really started yet. The guy is late."**

"**Have a little faith, I am sure it will be fine."**

"**Everything is alright there?"**

"**Yup. We're about to watch a movie."**

"**Okay, I'll call you later to check on her." **

"**Talk to you later, Liv."**

"**Bye, honey."**

**Olivia hung up the phone and took another drink from her straw. She tapped her fingernails against the bar and just as she was about to give up all hope and turn in for the evening….**

"**Excuse me, Miss."**

**Olivia smiled. Here we go, she thought to herself. He sounded sexy. She sat her glass down on the bar and turned her barstool around to look at her date for the evening.**

"**You're late," she said with a smile as her eyes shifted to meet his. She was speechless.**

"**Ahhh," he laughed. "How did I not see this coming?"**

**Olivia laughed. "They played us."**

"**You mean you didn't know?"**

"**No clue."**

"**Well done kids," Elliot replied as he took a seat beside her at the bar.**

**They both laughed. **

"**You look nice," Elliot said handing her the rose. "This is for you."**

"**Thank you."**

"**So, what do you say we get the hell out of this bar and go get some dinner?"**

"**Really?"**

"**Yeah, might as well enjoy this blind date. Now that the pressure's off. I could at least take you to dinner. Wouldn't want word to get out that I am a bad date."**

"**That's right. You're a bachelor now. Reputation is important."**

"**Come on," he said tugging at her arm and tossing a ten dollar bill down on the bar to cover her tab.**

**Elliot drove them around the city for a while as they tried to decide where to go and eat. Twenty minutes later they found themselves overdressed sharing a table in their favorite burger place.**

"**So, you think maybe they are trying to tell us something?" Olivia asked him.**

"**The kids?"**

"**No El, those two teenagers in the booth across the room. Yes, the kids."**

"**I guess they are trying to say we need to get out more. Maureen gave me this big talk about how it was time I moved on and found someone to care for. She told me that she was arranging this date with someone she was friends with at school. She has been trying to talk me into it for weeks."**

"**At least Maureen is an adult. I was set up by a twelve year old. With her friend Amy's dad."**

"**You went along with that?"**

"**How could I tell her no, Elliot?"**

"**You gotta work on that. Or she's gonna walk all over you when she's older."**

"**I know. And I have it under control."**

"**Looks like it," he said reaching across the table taking her hand in his.**

**Olivia smiled at him as the waitress sat their food down in front of them. She watched him for a moment as a few random thoughts raced through her mind. **

"**It's not like we have been exactly honest with them anyway, Elliot."**

**Elliot tossed a French fry into his mouth and smiled back at her. **

"**You feel guilty?"**

"**I didn't say that."**

"**What do you want, Olivia? What do **_**you**_** want? I mean we have had three dates. We met once for drinks and a couple of times for dinner. It isn't like we snuck off and got married and forgot to tell our kids. We are just trying to figure out where this is going before we involve them. There is nothing wrong with that."**

"**Then why do I feel so guilty about it?"**

"**Relax. We are not doing anything wrong. Lets try to have a little fun tonight," he said flagging the waiter and ordering a couple of beers. **

**After dinner Elliot took her for a moonlit walk through the park. They stopped by a little place between some trees and talked in the moonlight. Elliot watched her smile and realized how quickly he was falling for her. The same Olivia Benson he had been partners and friends with for so many years had now become the object of his affection. **

**Before long they had gone back to his place for drinks and a little conversation. But one thing lead to another and they quickly found themselves making out on the couch. **

**Elliot pressed his mouth to hers kissing her passionately as he slipped his hand up under her dress, begging her to let him go just a little further. Moments later she was clawing at his shoulder and moaning softly as he moved two fingers inside of her.**

"**El," she whimpered breathlessly as she pressed her forehead against his shirt and twisted his tie in her hand. "Elliot wait," she mumbled between kisses.**

**He raised up and looked down at her. Olivia stared into his eyes then shifted her attention down the hallway toward his bedroom. **

"**Yeah," he said nodding his head as he stood up. He lead her down the hall by the hand and laid her across the bed where they continued. Elliot kissed her and touched her body in places he had never seen. **

**Olivia moaned softly at his touch and unbuttoned his shirt pushing it back from his shoulders and exposing his bare chest. She kissed across it and moved her hands over his back. **

**The next thing she knew her dress laid in the floor beside his clothes and she was down to her bra and panties. "What time is it?" She mumbled against his mouth. **

**Elliot turned his head to look at the clock on the night stand. "Just after ten." He looked into her eyes and could see she was a little distracted. "Liv, we don't have to do this."**

**She leaned up and hugged him pressing her forehead against his chest. "I want to, Elliot. I just don't want to get back too late."**

**Elliot laughed and kissed her again. "We could wait if you want. Plan this out a little better. Make it more romantic."**

"**I am with you. That makes it romantic. Elliot, we have waited so long. I want to do this."**

"**Okay," he said kissing her tenderly. He smoothed his hands up her back and unclasped her bra tossing it aside. **

**They kissed and explored each others bodies in the dark. Then it was happening. They were making love. And they were good together. **

**Olivia moaned softly and tipped her head back as she felt him inside of her. She closed her eyes and listed to the sounds he made while he made love to her. She opened her eyes and stared into Elliot's. So calm and blue. He moved so confidently now and it felt as if they had been made for each other.**

**He knew exactly where to touch her and kiss her to drive her crazy. And he did just that. They made love for an hour. Kissing and touching and exploring. Doing all of the things they had only dreamed of doing over the years. **

**And when they had finished. When neither of their bodies could handle anymore. She fell against his chest and closed her eyes, her body still trembling from their exotic bliss. She laughed a little and looked up at him. **

**Elliot smiled and tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. He closed his arms around her and held her tight as he kissed the top of her head. He rubbed his nose against hers and kissed her lips. **

"**Wow," he said with a smile.**

**Olivia laughed. "Come on. Don't tell me that you didn't already know that would be amazing."**

"**I knew that. But knowing it ad actually feeling it are so different." Elliot moved his hands over her back and kissed her again. "It feels good, doesn't it?"**

**Olivia raised her head to look up at him. "What's that?"**

"**To know. To finally know beyond a doubt what we are like together."**

**She smiled and laid her head against his chest kissing it softly.**

"**We're incredible," she said as he hugged her. "El, can I ask you something?"**

"**Anything."**

"**I know that we aren't really together or anything…"**

"**We're not?"**

**She looked into his eyes. "We're not, are we? A couple, I mean."**

**Elliot stared at her for a moment. "I'd like to be."**

"**You would?"**

"**Yeah. I mean I kind of thought that we were….dating."**

"**You did?"**

"**Yes, I did."**

"**Then why did you agree to meet some other woman in a bar fro a blind date? I told you why I was there."**

**Elliot laughed. "To be completely honest, I wasn't too enthused about it either."**

"**Then why go at all?"**

**Elliot kissed her softly. "Because I can't tell my little girl no either."**

**Olivia smiled. "I felt guilty going. And I didn't intend for it to go anywhere. I had already decided I wasn't even going to let him kiss me goodnight."**

"**You weren't huh?"**

"**No. I wasn't really sure what was going on with us. But I wasn't going to let it go anywhere because I already knew I wasn't interested in him. I had already fallen for you."**

**Elliot grinned. "I am such a lucky man."**

"**What are we going to tell the kids? I don't want to lie to them anymore."**

"**We're not lying to them, Olivia. There are just some things parents don't tell their children. It's different than lying."**

"**We're lying to them, Elliot. By sneaking around and keeping it a secret, we are lying. I don't like this. I want a better relationship with my daughter that." She raised up and looked into his eyes.**

"**So lets tell them the truth."**

"**You want to go back there tonight and tell them we had sex?"**

**He laughed again. "Not exactly. I mean tell them that we are interested in each other and that we want to try dating. Then they know and we are not sneaking around. But the sex part, I really think we should keep to our selves."**

"**Yeah," she said with a smile.**

**Elliot kissed her forehead. "It's getting late. And you know as well as I do they are waiting up for us to get back. I should get you home."**

**Olivia smiled as he leaned over the edge of the bed and handed picked up her dress. She got dressed and he drove her back across town to her apartment where the girls sat waiting. **

**Inside the apartment they answered questions about their date. But when Sarah asked if he kissed her, that was the end of the Q&A session. **

"**It is past your bedtime," Olivia said smiling down at her daughter.**

"**Okay," Sarah answered.**

"**I need to get back to the dorm. I have to work tomorrow morning. Night dad," she said hugging him.**

"**Good night baby," Elliot replied.**

"**Good night, Liv."**

"**Good night. Thanks for staying with Sarah," she said handing her some cash.**

"**No problem. If you two decide you want to go out again, just give me a call," Maureen joked.**

"**Actually, we talked about it." Elliot said watching the reaction of both girls. "And we decided that maybe we would like to go out again sometime."**

"**Really?" Sarah asked in excitement.**

"**Really," Olivia answered. **

"**Yes! I mean, cool." **

**Olivia laughed. "Bed."**

"**I know, I know." Sarah said her goodnights and headed to her room.**

**Elliot and Olivia found themselves alone in the living room watching television and drinking wine. Elliot wasn't watching anything but her. And the third time she looked over and caught him staring at her she laughed.**

"**What?" She asked with a smile as if she couldn't guess what he was thinking about.**

"**I'm sorry. It's just, everything is different now. You know?"**

"**It is?" She asked nervously.**

**Elliot sat up and pulled her back into his arms and just held her for a minute. He kissed her soft full lips and gazed into her eyes. "Yeah, it is. We have seen each other in a different light. You know? We made love," he whispered into her ear as she smiled. "And it was incredible. And now we are dating. We are right?"**

"**Yes," she said with a smile.**

"**You are my girlfriend. And I have never been so excited to be in a relationship with anyone. So forgive me if I get distracted by your beautiful smile and I stare. I mean it as a complement."**

**Elliot held her for a while on the couch as they watched television. Eventually Olivia fell asleep in his arms. **

"**Liv," he said softly as he kissed her.**

"**Hmm?"**

"**I should go," he whispered. "And let you get some sleep." **

**She opened her eyes and yawned. "I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said looking into his eyes.**

"**It's okay. It has been a long day. A long and eventful day."**

**She sat up on the couch and rubbed her eyes. "I should check on Sarah," she said leaving the room for a moment.**

"**How is she?" Elliot asked as she appeared in front of him again.**

"**Sleeping."**

"**That's good. It's getting late."**

**Elliot stood and took her by the hand. He lead her to the door and leaned against the wall beside it to tell her good night. He leaned in to kiss her tenderly and one thing kind of lead to another.**

"**Elliot," she whispered softly against his collarbone between kisses, "stay."**

**He broke their embrace for a moment to look into her eyes as she stared back at him. "Stay?"**

"**Stay," she said once more and she turned to lead him down the hall to the bedroom.**

**Olivia closed and locked her bedroom door then turned to look at him sitting on the edge of her bed. She unzipped the back of her dress and let it fall to the floor. She walked to the edge of the bed where Elliot kissed her body. He kissed her abdomen and moved his hands over her back. **

**Olivia moved her fingers in his hair. Elliot unbuttoned a few buttons from his shirt then Olivia pulled it over his head and dropped it into the floor. He unbuckled his belt and kicked his pants off. Olivia pushed him back in the bed and moved in over him.**

"**Oh yeah," Elliot whispered with a smile as she laid across him and kissed him.**

**She sat up and unhooked the clasp of her bra.**

"**You are so beautiful," he said kissing under her neck as she moaned softly. **

**Elliot rolled over and laid her down on the bed. He kissed up her belly and under her breasts. He moved his way down her body and slipped off her lacy bikini underwear, sliding them down her long leg. He kissed his way back up her leg, across her thigh.**

**Olivia gasped as she felt his tongue slip inside her. She closed her eyes and clawed at the sheets on the bed as she panted. He slid one hand up her body to caress her breasts as the other rubbed across her stomach. **

**Elliot raised his head to look at her. He moved one hand up her knee as he kissed back up her body resting his lips against hers as she stared into her eyes. Olivia slipped her arms around his waist and pushed his boxers down his body.**

"**Elliot," she mumbled between kisses.**

"**Yeah?"**

"**Make love to me," she gasped staring into his eyes.**

**Several hours later Olivia woke up naked and wrapped tight in Elliot's arms. She stirred a little and he opened his eyes. Elliot kissed her shoulder and hugged her tight.**

"**I'll be right back," she whispered between kisses. She stood up and walked into the bathroom. A few minutes later Olivia returned wearing her robe and sat on the edge of the bed. **

"**You are so beautiful," Elliot said sitting up and leaning forward to kiss her.**

"**Elliot, it is after five thirty. Sarah will be awake before long." She looked at him and shook her head. "I don't want her to see us like this."**

"**Okay, I'll go." **

**Olivia looked at him. "I didn't mean it like that. I don't want you to think I'm kicking you out."**

"**Olivia, I want to do this right. I care about Sarah, too. And you're right. She shouldn't see us like this." He leaned forward and kissed her tenderly. "I am crazy about you."**

**Olivia smiled and kissed him again. She pulled him back over her on the bed and they made love once more. Elliot held her tight as they watched the sunlight begin to peek through the blinds on the bedroom window.**

"**I have an idea," Elliot whispered as he kissed against her cheek and nipped at her earlobe.**

"**What's that?" Olivia rolled onto her back and stared up at him as she moved her fingertips over his bare chest.**

"**Why don't I go crash on the couch for a couple of hours. When Sarah wakes up I'll fix breakfast and then the three of us can spend the day together. What do you think?"**

**Olivia smiled. "I think I like that idea."**

**Elliot kissed her again. He stood up and put his clothes back on. "You know, Liv. If you get lonely in here in that big bed all by yourself, I am right down the hall on the sofa." He winked at her. **

"**Oh," she said sitting up in the bed holding a pillow in front of her. "Well, if you get lonely in there on the couch….take a cold shower," she said with a smile throwing the pillow at him.**

"**You are bad," he said as they both laughed. "Bad."**

"**Get some sleep. Sarah will be up in less than two hours," Olivia said laying back down in the bed as he made his way down the hall. She laid there alone staring up at the ceiling and exhaled. She closed her eyes and tried to get some sleep. As she did and her mind began to wonder, Elliot was the last person she thought of before finally drifting off to sleep. **


	18. 18 One

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Eighteen: One)_

Olivia was sitting at her desk when it arrived. The first class stamped envelope she had been waiting so long for. She signed the clip board and tipped the delivery guy then sat it on her desk and just looked at it for a moment. A few minutes later Elliot arrived back from court to see her staring down at the envelope.

"You get a delivery?"

"Yes." She shifted her eyes up to look at him. "Elliot, it came."

"It?"

She looked at him and nodded her head.

"Oh, _it_. Okay. Are you gonna open it?" He asked.

"Yes. I guess I'm just a little nervous. I have waited so long for this. What if…"

"Just open it," Elliot cut her off.

"You're right." Olivia picked up the envelope and slid her finger under the fold at the top ripping the envelope open. She pulled out the legal documents inside and unfolded them as she began to read. "Oh my God!"

"What? Is it good news or bad news?"

"I'll let you decide that for yourself," she said handing him the judge signed copy of Sarah Stabler's adoption papers.

She watched as a smile spread across Elliot's face. "We were approved."

"Both of us," Olivia said pointing to the line where the judge stated her legal guardians as Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler.

"She is ours. Forever," Elliot laughed with a large grin on his face.

"Forever," Olivia repeated with tears in her eyes.

"We have to celebrate," Elliot said pulling his cell phone from his side.

"What are you doing?"

"Calling the kids. All of the kids. I want us all to get together for dinner tonight to make the announcement and celebrate. This is the most amazing news. Our little girl is home to stay."

Olivia smiled. "I think I am going to talk to Cragen and take the afternoon off. I want to pick up Sarah from school early and take her to lunch. You should come. I just want some time with her before the other kids find out. We should take her to lunch, both of us. And tell her there."

"Sounds good. I have some time. And we aren't really busy here. I am on call though. I was also thinking maybe we could invite everyone out to dinner one night this weekend to celebrate. Tell Casey and Cragen and everyone."

Olivia smiled. "I think that is a great idea."

"Good," Elliot said leaning down to kiss her. "I have a little paperwork to finish up here. Why don't you go ahead and pick Sarah up? Find out where she wants to eat. Anywhere she wants to go. Then I will meet you guys there. I should be done in about twenty minutes."

"Okay," Olivia said as she picked up her jacket and tossed it over her arm heading for Cragen's office.

An hour later the three of them sat at a table in a nice Italian place across town. They had taken Sarah there once many months ago when she had first started her visitations with Olivia. They placed their orders and the waitress brought their drinks.

"So what is going on?" Sarah asked picking up a bread stick form the basket in the center of the table. "Olivia said there was an emergency and you guys needed o talk to me. Then we left school and came out for lunch. Not that I am complaining. I got out of school early and I don't have to eat Salisbury steak in the cafeteria. Yuck! That stuff is the worst!"

Elliot laughed as Olivia sat her tea glass down on the table.

"I said it was important, not an emergency."

"Well," Sarah said staring at Olivia, "what is so important?"

"This," Olivia said laying the adoption papers down in front of her on the table.

Sarah picked up the papers and read through them, then looked up at Olivia. "Does this mean what I think it means?" She asked as she began to smile.

"This," Olivia said pointing to the papers in Sarah's hand, "means that you will never be taken away from us again. Elliot and I are your parents, your mother and your father, from now on. Forever."

"Really?" Sarah squealed in excitement. "The adoption went through?"

"The adoption went through," Elliot answered his daughter.

Sarah smiled and laughed and almost cried. "I was hoping this would happen. But I was so afraid it wouldn't.

"It finally did baby," Olivia said as Sarah ran to hug her.

"And tonight your brothers and sisters are meeting us for a big family dinner. We can make the announcement and celebrate. The whole family, together."

"I have brothers and sisters," Sarah said with a smile. "And my mom and my dad." She hugged Elliot tight. "I love you guys so much."

"We love you too honey," Elliot answered.

After lunch they took Sarah to see a movie and bought her some new clothes for dinner that night. They spent the day together, the three of them, bonding as a family.

That night they met the kids for dinner at a fancy restaurant. Everyone was excited when Elliot and Olivia let Sarah make the announcement to her new brothers and sisters.

At dinner they also opened the discussion with the kids about them purchasing a place together. A loft that they had looked at in the same neighborhood that would provide much more room and bring the entire family together for their weekends and holidays.

"So, if you guys get this place will you be living together, living together?" Kathleen asked as she raised an eyebrow.

"We would live together. All of us. But seeing as we have only been actually dating for a few weeks, Olivia and I would keep our own separate bedrooms."

"Would we get our own rooms, dad?" Elizabeth asked.

"There are five bedrooms. Mine and Olivia's. The boys would share one. Maureen and Kathleen would share and Sarah and Elizabeth would share."

"Cool," Elizabeth said looking at Sarah.

"Do I have to change schools again?" Sarah asked looking at Elliot.

"No, honey. That was one of the main things we looked at when looking for a place. We wanted to keep you near your school."

"Well, seeing as Maureen and I only stay around the holidays, why don't the girls just have their own rooms?"

"We might do something like that. Then they could just stay in the same room when you older girls come to visit. We will work it all out. But what do you guys think about all of us living together?"

"I think it is a good idea dad," Dickie said. "Sarah is our sister now. Brothers and sisters should live together. Even if it is just every other weekend."

"What about you girls?" Olivia asked.

"I think it's a great idea," Kathleen said.

"Yeah," Maureen agreed.

"If we life together then we wont have to spend the night so much," Elizabeth said smiling at Sarah.

"I figured you two would be up for it," Elliot said smiling at the thought of their daughters being such good friends.

"It is settled then. Once we decide for sure on a place, we are going to sell the two apartments and buy a place together."

"Dad?" Elizabeth said with a smile.

"Yes, dear?"

"Do you think you and Olivia will ever have any kids together?"

Elliot looked at Olivia and they both smiled.

"You don't think that six kids is enough?" Elliot asked her.

"I think it would be really cool if you and Liv had a baby."

He looked up at the faces of the Stabler brood around him as they all nodded their heads and agreed with her.

"Maybe someday," Olivia answered. "But for right now, we are just trying to focus on getting this family together. And getting all of you kids under one roof. We will have to wait and see where this leads," she said motioning between she and Elliot, "before we decide if it is a good idea to bring another baby into the mix. Besides, we aren't even married."

"Maybe you should get married," Sarah said with a smile.

"Okay, slow down guys. I think people should date a little longer than three weeks before they start talking about getting married. I think we should all just wait and see how things work out. But one thing is for certain, you can all count on both of us. Always. That will never change. Your father and I are going to be here for all of you. We are all a family."

"You are right Liv," Kathleen said with a smile. "We are all a family. One. All together as one family. We just think that you should be a Stabler, too. You should so marry our dad."

"It is very sweet of you to say so, honey. Maybe someday. But right now we are still getting used to being a couple."

After dinner Maureen drove the other kids back to their mother's as Elliot and Olivia headed back to Olivia's house with Sarah. Olivia looked at Sarah in the rearview mirror listening to music on her MP3 player. She took a deep breath and smiled as she looked over at Elliot.

"That went better than I thought it would," Olivia said looking at Elliot as he drove.

"You didn't think they would take it well?"

"Oh, the part about Sarah I knew they would. But the part about us getting a place together, I figured there would at least be a little protest."

"My kids love you, Olivia."

She smiled. "Still, I figured at least one of the five…"

"I bet I can guess which one," Elliot joked. "I think they are just glad to see dad happy again."

"I am too," she said placing her hand against his shoulder. "But I honestly didn't think we would sit at dinner tonight and have six children trying to talk us into getting married."

"Like I said, they love you."

"I am crazy about them, Elliot. They are amazing kids. And I would love for us all to be a family someday."

"We already are," he said slipping his hand into hers. "Look Liv, it is no secret that I am in love with you. Or that someday I would love to marry you and settle down with you and yes, if you want more kids, I would even love for us to have a baby together. But I am not in any hurry. Things have been so rushed lately with life in general, it is kind of nice to be able to kind of kick back and enjoy us for a while."

"Us?"

"You and me. Or family together with the kids. I think we are exactly on track and right where we need to be. I think that unless you decide you want to move things along a little faster, this pace is perfect. For now at least. The kids are just excited at the thought of having a real family again. I don't want you to feel rushed or to think that we have to jump into something we are not ready for."

"Oh, I don't. I am perfectly content with where we are right now. Someday, I would love to have more. The marriage and a baby. I would love to have it with you, Elliot. But not after just three weeks of dating. That is insane. I think what we are doing is good."

"So you are happy?"

"I have never been happier," Olivia said with a smile.

"Good," Elliot said leaning in to kiss her lips.


	19. 19 When It Rains

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Nineteen: When It Rains….)_

The last few months had past rather quickly and it was starting to get warm in the city again. They had managed to gather enough evidence to take the black market baby case to court and the doctor who stole and sold the babies was now facing a twenty five year sentence for each child he illegally sold. His sister served as a star witness against him in court earning herself a deal from the D.A., she would only serve six years for each of the cases she was involved with.

They had managed to find a total of seven children now, including Sarah and start the proceedings to reunite them with their families. The case had been really big with the media and made both the Manhattan SVU and A.D.A. Casey Novak look good, in turn making their bosses very happy.

Elliot and Olivia had been living together now for a few months, sharing a five bedroom loft with the children. The kids loved living with Olivia and with Sarah. Most of the kids still held on to the hope that someday soon there would be a new addition to the Stabler brood. And were not exactly hiding the fact that they all hoped to see Elliot and Olivia married soon.

Elliot sat at his desk playing around on the internet and wasting time until Olivia returned from court and they could go to lunch. He had gotten the idea in his head to take his new large family on a little mini vacation to kick off summer vacation the first week the kids were out of school. The trip would serve as bonding time for the entire clan and give Elliot and Olivia time to spend with all of their children together.

But things had come up at work and Elliot had pushed the idea to the back of his mind and now he only had three days to plan something before the kids were out of school. At one point the had considered something like Disney land, but their kids were too old for things like that.

Elliot sat staring at the search bar on the screen as he tried to think up ideas. Amusement parks and water parks would probably go well, but they weren't exactly what he had in mind. He typed 'family vacation ideas' into the space and hit enter.

Among the dozens of over the top ideas like Hawaii and cruises was a link to a site where you could rent an RV and travel. Elliot slicked the link. He read through the options and then took a virtual walkthrough one of the RV's. There was no way to possibly pile six children, Elliot and Olivia into that confined space and there be a good ending. Obviously this was not an option.

But it gave him another idea. A camping trip. There were a few campgrounds upstate where Elliot and Dickie used to go with the boy scout troop. Elliot looked up listings for local camp grounds, but there were not a lot of options. He decided to go take Olivia and the kids to one of the places they used to go with the boy scouts. Elliot punched in the name and printed out driving directions.

That evening when Elliot and Olivia met the kids. He announced to his girlfriend and all six children that they were going on a camping trip. Obviously he was more excited that they were, because the most he got as far as a reaction was a few groans.

"Come on guys. I am talking two days. Well two nights, three days. You guys get out of school early on Friday. Olivia and I will pick you up and we will go right out and set up camp. We can roast marshmallows and hunt for fire wood. Do a little fishing."

"Girls don't fish dad," Maureen said folding her arms in front of her.

"Some girls do," Elliot said with a smile looking at Olivia.

"I have never been fishing," she admitted. She looked around at the looks on the faces of the children. "But it sounds like fun!"

They all turned and looked at her.

"Oh, come on guys. Your dad worked hard to set up a fun family camping trip for all of us, they least we could do is try. This could be a lot of fun. We'll get snacks and sleeping bags and sleep in tents. Those who would like to try can go fishing. It will be fun!"

"Guys, Liv is right. Lets at least try camping before we all say we don't like camping," Kathleen suggested.

"I have never been camping before," Sarah said smiling at Elliot. "I think it sounds like fun. We have to sleep outside?"

"Well, we will be in tents," Elliot said. "I figured we could get a couple of tents for you kids. Maybe one for the older girls, one for the boys and one for Sarah and Elizabeth. Then get one for Liv and I. We can cook dinner over an open fire. It will be great."

"Okay daddy, we'll go camping," Elizabeth agreed.

"Alright. Stabler family camping trip, starting Friday at five o'clock."

That night as they crawled into bed Elliot watched Olivia smooth lotion on her arms and legs. She got up and made her way back down the hall to check on Sarah, who was sound asleep then returned to the bedroom with Elliot.

"Thank you for backing me up at dinner tonight," he said as she crawled back into bed beside him.

"You're welcome," she said with a smile.

"You didn't look too enthused about spending a couple of nights sleeping out doors either. I guess I should have checked with the family before I made the plans."

"No El, you are just trying to do something fun for you family. I think camping is a wonderful idea."

"You do?"

"Yeah. It is just that you are taking a bunch of city kids, girls for the most part and expecting them to get all excited about sleeping outside on the ground with dirt and bugs when they have comfy beds, air conditioning and cable here. Dickie at least knows what to expect, he looked excited. And everyone else agreed to go into this with an open mind, so that is a good sign."

"But you don't really want to go camping either, do you?"

"Normally I wouldn't, no. But I love you, Elliot. And I am willing to try anything for you. I think if we all go into this camping trip with an open mind and a good attitude we can all have a lot of fun," she said with a smile.

Elliot smiled back at her. "Anything, huh?"

Olivia laughed. "Pretty much anything," she said as she winked at him.

* * *

The next afternoon Elliot and Olivia patrolled the city looking to purchase the gear they would need for their family camping trip. They had two days to get things in order to make this trip an amazing adventure for the entire family.

Elliot got the tents while Olivia focused on sleeping bags. She pulled an empty bank envelope and a pen from her purse and began to make a list of foods for the trip. Hot dogs and hamburger, plenty of snack foods, marshmallows of course, soda and bottled water.

"What'cha' doin'?" Elliot asked as he stepped around the corner and dropped four tents into the shopping cart.

"Making a list."

"A list?"

"A camping list. Stuff we need to get. Just the food so far."

"Good thinking. We need a couple of those big coolers and plenty of ice to keep the food cold."

* * *

Elliot and Olivia picked the kids up from Kathy's, all of the kids. Sarah already being out of school had spent the night there the night before and the older girls were there as well. The gear was loaded and they were finally on their way.

"Everybody ready for the Stabler family camping trip?" Elliot asked trying to get them geared up.

"We're ready dad," Elizabeth answered back with a smile.

"Dickie remember that place we used to camp with the scouts?"

"Yeah."

"That is our destination. I think you guys are going to love it. It is beautiful. Peaceful, kind of secluded, has a big nice lake for fishing and canoeing, maybe even swimming." Elliot looked at Olivia and smirked. "A little late night skinny dipping," he mumbled just low enough the children could not hear him.

Olivia smiled and turned to look out the window as she began to blush a bit. Elliot loved that she was still so shy about their sexual relationship. He turned onto the road and continued toward the camp site.

"Dad does this place have running water? Like for a shower?" Maureen asked from the back seat.

"They had really nice shower houses the last time we were here."

They drove for a few more miles.

"It doesn't look like anyone else is here," Olivia said as the trees thinned out and you could begin to see the campsites through them.

"Well, it is still early in the camping season. That's alright, it gives us first pick of the campsites."

"Oh no," Olivia said softly as they approached a place where the road had been closed off.

Elliot put the SUV into park and shut off the ignition as they all piled out to look around. The grass was all over grown and the place looked like it hadn't been cleaned up in years. Broken beer bottles littered the ground and graffiti was sprayed in bright green and orange paint all over the buildings.

"This place looks condemned," Kathleen noted.

"I thought you said they had a great shower house dad?"

"Yeah, the last time we were here. That was like in two thousand one," Dickie said attempting to defend his father from his sisters.

"What is that smell?" Maureen asked.

"I think something is dead over here," Kathleen laughed poking the weeds with a stick.

"Hey, maybe you'll find a body," Dickie said in excitement as he ran to her side and helped her seek out the cause of the odor."

"Kathleen, Dickie, get away from there!" Elliot said. "That smell is something dead alright, but it isn't human."

"Oh, gross!" Kathleen screamed nearly stepping on the half decomposed carcass of what appeared to be the remains of a deer.

"Awesome," Dickie said poking it with a stick causing the flies to buzz away and stir up the smell.

"Eww," Elizabeth shrieked making a face like she was going to gag.

Dickie picked up a piece of hide on the stick and began to chase Maureen with it as she screamed and ran.

"Dad!" Maureen screamed pushing her way through the other kids as the rotting lump of flesh fell off the stick.

"Everybody back in the car!" Elliot yelled over the complaints and screams of his children. "Dickie! Drop the stick and stop chasing your sister!"

Kathleen laughed almost hysterically at the look on Maureen's face.

"Shut up," Maureen snapped hitting her.

"Don't hit me," Kathleen spat hitting her back.

Sarah and Elizabeth watched from the car as the two girls had to be pried apart by their father.

"Come on guys, we are trying to have a fun family trip here," Elliot encouraged.

Olivia buckled Eli back into his booster seat as the girls climbed back into the car.

"Yeah dad, because we are all having so much fun," Kathleen said sarcastically. "You didn't think to call ahead to see if this campground even existed before you drove us all the way out here in the middle of nowhere?"

"Chill out. Alright, Kathleen? I have another idea," Elliot said picking up his cell phone and looking at Olivia. "Cragen gave me a key to his cabin a while back to take Dickie fishing. If that still exists," he said sarcastically, "there is plenty of land for tents and campfires. And he has a lake for fishing."

"That sounds good," Olivia smiled. "But El, it looks like it might rain," she said looking up at the sky through the front windshield.

"It's not gonna rain. I checked the forecast," he said leaning forward to kiss her lips.

"Yeah Cap, Liv and I were gonna take the kids camping this weekend and our campsite fell through. I was wondering if you would mind if we set up a few tents out at your cabin, maybe built a small campfire to roast marshmallows?"

The car was quiet for a few minutes as they all awaited an answer.

"Alright," Elliot said. "See you on Monday." he closed his phone and started the car.

"What did he say?"

"He said it's cool. Here we go guys!"

* * *

They arrived at the cabin about an hour later and began to unload the car. Olivia focused on putting away all of the food, as Elliot handed out tents to the kids. He set up he and Olivia's tent, then moved to help Maureen and Kathleen with theirs. Dickie set up the one for he and Eli, then went to work on the campfire. And Olivia helped Sarah and Elizabeth finish getting their tent set up.

Dickie had trouble getting the fire to light. The air was cool and a little windy as night began to fall and they all sat around with flashlights eating chips and beef jerky. After an hour or so the campfire idea had been pretty much abandon and the kids all began to get tired.

"It smells like rain," Olivia said pulling on a hooded sweatshirt and tossing one to Sarah.

"It is not going to rain. I checked. I looked online, read it in the paper and watched the news this morning. It is supposed to be nice all weekend."

An hour later the kids had all piled into Dickie's tent with their sleeping bags and popcorn as they told scary stories with a to the eerie glow of a flash light. Elliot and Olivia sat outside on coolers talking and listening to the kids.

"They sound like they are having fun," Olivia said leaning in against him as he closed his arm around her.

"Yeah, they hate camping. This trip is a disaster."

"Elliot, you brought them all camping to bond. The camping may not have gone as smoothly as you would have liked, but they are all in there and they are bonding. I would say that makes this trip a success."

Olivia leaned up and kissed Elliot tenderly right as Dickie reached the scary part of his story. There was a loud clap of thunder and lightening as hard rain began to pour on them.

The kids all screamed and came scrambling from the tent as it collapsed into a pile of poles and fabric on the ground.

"Get the sleeping bags!" Olivia yelled back to the kids as she grabbed Eli and ran for the cabin.

The kids all turned and ran back for sleeping bags and a few minutes later they all stood wet and trembling in the kitchen of the small cabin.

"I'm gonna try to get a fire going," Dickie said.

"We couldn't even get one going outside," Elliot said looking at him.

"The wood was wet dad. This one is gas."

Elliot nodded. "Good thinking."

"Maureen and Kathleen began to spread out the apparently waterproof sleeping bags on the floor around the fireplace as the kids all sat down to warm themselves by the firs.

"I'm hungry," Kathleen said as she stared up at the flames.

"Me too," Elizabeth said as her stomach growled and she and Sarah giggled.

"All the food is outside in the rain," Maureen said.

"Don't look at me," Dickie replied.

"I think I can help you guys," Olivia said moving to the refrigerator and pulling out two packages of hot dogs. "We could still roast hot dogs."

Elliot gave her a look.

"What? It wouldn't all fin in the cooler."

"How do you plan to roast them? All of the sticks are outside in the rain."

"I have a plan, Stabler." She said with a smirk. "Sarah, can you run get me…." Olivia took a quick headcount. "Eight wire hangers from the closet in the bedroom?"

"Okay," Sarah said moving into the bedroom closet and returning with the hangers.

Olivia showed the kids how to unbend the wire of the hanger to use as a roasting stick. Half an hour later they had six happy children as they all began to drift off in the floor.

Elliot held Olivia on the couch as they watched the flames flicker in the fireplace and listened to the thunderstorm outside. Elliot kissed the back of her head as she turned and smiled at him.

"You are amazing," he said. "You saved this camping trip, with your roasting hot dogs and marshmallows over the fireplace. Until that point I think they were all pretty miserable."

Olivia smiled. "They were having fun. I mean the trip it's self may have been cursed, I will give you that. But I think together we have mad this a family trip that none of us will ever forget. We are all here together. And we are happy and healthy and loved. This is the best trip I have ever been on."

Elliot smirked. "Well, I hope you are comfortable dear. Because there is no room left in that floor for us. And I left our sleeping bags in the tent."

"You know," Olivia smiled looking over her shoulder, "there is a nice warm bed in the other room." She smiled and kissed him.

"And the kids are all asleep," Elliot added hoping she would go for it and he could get a little action tonight.

"I know it isn't quite the same as skinny dipping," she whispered against his ear, "but there is a shower stall in there just big enough for two."

Elliot kissed her softly. "I think we should save the shower sex for in the morning."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, after we have both had a little bit of rest. I am kind of wore out right now. I don't know if I could do the balancing against the wall thing. I am more in a lay you down across the bed and take advantage of you kind of mood. What about you?"

Olivia laughed. "Baby, I am just horny. I will take what I can get."

Elliot laughed. "I have never heard you talk like that."

"No? It isn't very lady like, I know."

"No, it isn't. But it is really hot!"

"Let's go to bed, Stabler."

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

The next morning when Olivia woke up, Elliot and the kids had cooked breakfast. The tiny dining area of the one bedroom cabin was nowhere near large enough for their clan so, Olivia sat at the barstool at the kitchen counter eating her eggs.

"You guys did a really great job with breakfast," she said as Elliot sat a mug of hot coffee down beside her. She smiled as he kissed her tenderly.

"I love you," he whispered.

"And I love you," she replied with her eyes sparkling.

They talked for a while with the kids and Dickie was telling some funny story. Olivia picked up her coffee mug to take a drink and as she did she heard something fall and hit the counter.

Confused she looked down to pick up the small shiny object. She raised her hand to get a closer look at it. _It, _was a small platinum band with a one karat diamond setting and it was beautiful.

"Oh my God," she gasped as she raised her eye to look at Elliot only then noticing all six children watching her as well.

"Olivia, have been my partner and my best friend for almost twelve years now. Together we make an amazing team. Not just at work, but as parents to our kids as well. But I have realized recently that I am selfish." Olivia tipped her head and looked confused. "Twelve years is no where near enough. I want you forever. So I am standing here today in front of our family asking you to make me the promise that we will always be here fore each other. Partners and best friends, husband and wife, for life. Olivia Benson, will you marry me?"

Elliot watched as tears overflowed her eyes and she tried to catch her breath.

"Yes," she said softly as she leaned forward and threw her arms around his neck and kissed him. She hugged him tight and closed her eyes to kiss him as the voices of excitement from the children filled the room. Olivia could not stop crying, she had never been so happy in her life.

Elliot wrapped his arms tight around her and kissed her until she had calmed again. "I love you so much," he said slipping the ring onto her left hand ring finger. "And I just want you to know that you are making me the happiest man in the world."

"I love you too," she said with a smile. She wiped the tears from her eyes and cleared her throat as she looked around the room at the kids.

"And you guys all knew about this?" She watched as they all began to smile and nod their heads.

"Now you will be a Stabler, too." Sarah pointed out as she hugged her mother.

"Yeah. I guess I will," Olivia said with a smile.


	20. 20 Sex Talk & Chicken Noodle Soup

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Twenty: Sex Talk & Chicken Noodle Soup)_

"I like that one," Sarah said with a smile as Olivia stepped out of the dressing room in yet another white dress.

"You have said that about every dress I tried on," Olivia replied with a smile.

"I know, but I really like that one."

Olivia looked in the mirror at the ivory colored strapless gown. She smoothed her hands down the crystal beaded bodice and onto the full skirt and train.

"You think so?" Olivia asked turning to look at her back and shoulders as she held her hair up. "I want something classy and romantic."

"That one," Sarah said nodding her head. "It's beautiful. And you look incredible in it."

"It makes me think, candle light and roses," Maureen agreed.

"Candle light and roses are romantic," Olivia said in a pep talk tone of voice. "You guys don't like the other one better?"

"No. This one is perfect," Kathleen said.

"This is the prettiest one we have seen all day," Elizabeth added.

"Okay then, it's settled. We have found my dress. Now we need dresses for you girls. Any ideas on colors?"

"Pink," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"I think it should be something softer, something that compliments Liv's dress," Maureen said.

"Lets just look at the other dresses and see if there is anything we like before we settle on a color," Olivia suggested.

While they were looking through the racks of dresses, Casey finally arrived to help them decide. They spent the next two hours looking at bridesmaid dresses before they finally found a style that Casey and all of the girls agreed on.

"Now any ideas on a color?" Casey asked looking at Olivia. "It is available in about ten different ones."

"I think I like the pastels," Olivia said looking at the sheet of fabric swatches. "What if we used the pastel pallet and each of you picked out the color of your dress? Any of these colors would go well my dress and they are perfect for a spring wedding."

"So we can pick out the color we want?" Kathleen asked. "That is so cool."

"I call pink," Elizabeth said in excitement.

"Okay, Elizabeth gets pink. We still have green, blue, yellow and purple."

A few minutes later all colors had been assigned. The woman took everyone's measurements and Olivia ordered the dresses. They walked around for a little while longer picking out shoes and accessories for everyone.

Later that evening the girls got together and cooked dinner for the family. After a long discussion of what they actually knew how to cook, they settled on the easiest recipe for guaranteed success, homemade chicken noodle soup and grilled cheese sandwiches.

Elliot and Olivia sat in the living room watching the news as the children's voices echoed through the apartment.

"So," Elliot asked reaching for her hand. "Are you ready to be the mother of six kids?"

"Yeah. I love having all of the kids together. I think we blend very well as a family. The kids all get along great and they are so excited about the wedding."

"How did your dress shopping go today?"

"Good. I got my dress."

"Yeah?"

"Yup. It is being fitted. And we ordered the girl's dresses. They should be in in a couple of weeks. We also picked out shoes and hair accessories. Everything seems to be right on track."

"Good. Dickie, Eli and I are meeting Cragen, Munch and Fin for tux fittings on Monday afternoon. We have just about got this all covered."

"I hope so, we only have two months to go."

"I also need to make an appointment to get my examine and more birth control pills or we are going to have to use condoms on our honeymoon."

Elliot laughed.

"Make sure to put that at the _top _of the to do list."

Olivia laughed.

"Oh, I will," she said leaning in to kiss him.

"Umm…hello?" Elizabeth said clearing her throat.

Elliot and Olivia looked up to see Sarah and Elizabeth standing there watching them.

"Dinner is served," Sarah said with a smile.

That evening Sarah climbed into Olivia's bed with her to watch a little television before going to sleep.

"Hey kid," Olivia said with a smile.

"Hey."

"You know, you guys did a really good job on dinner."

"Thanks. Not bad considering none of us know how to cook. It seems strange at night when they all go back to their moms house. And it is just us and Elliot."

"But it wont be like this for long. In a few more weeks Elliot will be moving in here and we'll be sharing a room. School will be out soon and the kids will be here with us all summer long. That will be fun. And we will have the wedding. And this will start feeling more like a family."

"I guess so," Sarah said laying back in the bed and pulling the blankets up around her. "But once Elliot moves in here things will change, we wont be able to watch TV like this every night before bed anymore, will we?"

"Why would you say that?"

"Well, because I am on his side of the bed."

Olivia smiled.

"There is room in this bed for three people. And if there isn't, we will just get a bigger bed," Olivia laughed. "Sarah honey, nothing is going to change. I mean with us. Everything we do now, we will still do."

"Cool," Sarah replied with a smile. "Hey Liv, can I ask you something?"

"Anything, baby. What's up?"

"What is birth control?"

Olivia looked mortified.

"Where did you hear that?"

Sarah laughed nervously.

"I heard you and Elliot talking about going to see your doctor and get more birth control."

"Have they ever had the talk with you at school?"

"They talked to us about starting your period in like fourth grade. Birth control is for when you have sex, right?"

Olivia pressed her lips together and thought for a minute.

"They didn't talk to you guys about sex?"

"Liv, I go to a private Catholic school. The only thing they say about sex is don't do it."

"You're not going to are you?"

"Eww. No. I just thought I should know about these things so that I understand this stuff when I am ready to….have sex."

Olivia thought nervously for a few minutes unsure of what to say.

"Relax, Liv. I'm not gonna do it for a really long time. Probably until I am at least like twenty. But even if I wait until I am married, I should probably get the talk. That way I know what to expect and how to prepare when I do, do it."

"Yeah, umm, okay. Well," Olivia cleared her throat and stared at her daughter for a minute, "why don't you tell me what you already know. That way I know where to start."

"I know the physical part. You know with the penis and the vagina."

Olivia watched as Sarah made an obviously repulsed face.

"I understand how to do it. I guess I was more wanting to know how to prepare for it."

"Like condoms?" Olivia asked.

"Like….you don't have to tell me how to have sex."

"Okay, you understand how it is done, right?"

"Yes."

"What if you just asked me any questions you have and I will do my best to answer them. Maybe that is the best way to navigate this conversation. To answer your first question. Birth control, is something that you take or do to prevent getting pregnant when you have sex."

"So, you and Elliot don't want to have a baby?"

"We have not really talked about it. But not right away, no. So I will go to my doctor and they will do a woman's examine and they will write me a prescription for birth control pills."

"And you take them before you have sex?"

"No. You take a pill every day. Kind of like a vitamin. And if you forget to take one or run out of pills and you do have sex, you are not protected against pregnancy."

"So if someone is taking birth control pills….it is because they are having sex and don't want to get pregnant? Cause my friend at my old school, her older sister took them. And she was only fifteen. That is not old enough to have sex, is it?"

"No, it isn't. But sometimes a doctor will prescribe the pills for other reasons. Some girls have trouble with their periods and the hormones in the pills can help with that, too. But you have to see a doctor to get them. Sarah, the law says that you cannot legally have sex until you are seventeen."

"If you do, can you go to jail?"

"No. But the person you have sex with can if they are older than seventeen. Honey, it is like that because before that point your body is not ready for sex. Your body is still developing and it isn't completely an adult body on the inside. But just because you are old enough by law doesn't mean that you are ready emotionally for it either. There are a lot of responsibilities that come with having sex. You also have to thing about preventing diseases like HIV and many others, not just getting pregnant. Birth control pills can help prevent pregnancy, but they wont prevent diseases. But using a condom every time can help to prevent both. And once you are sexually active you should always carry them with you and make sure that if you do have sex, you use them. With any kind of sexual contact." Sarah gave Olivia a worried look. "Honey, only you will know when you are ready to have sex."

"So how do you know when you are ready?"

"I don't know how to explain it. But you will know. When you meet a guy that you love and he loves you, you will know."

"Does it hurt to have sex?"

"Usually at first it does. But after a few times it doesn't hurt anymore."

"How old were you when you had sex?"

Olivia gulped and as badly as she wanted to say thirty, she couldn't bring herself to lie to her daughter.

"The first time, I was fourteen."

"But that is not old enough."

"You're right. It isn't and I wasn't ready. I thought I was and I was with a guy who was older than I was and he really pressured me to have sex with him. I liked him and I wanted him to love me, so I did it."

"But you didn't stay together?"

"No. After I had sex with him, he broke up with me anyway. I was heart broken and I cried for days."

"I'm sorry."

"But then I found a good guy. I found Elliot and I love him and he loves me."

"And you wish you would have waited until you found him?"

"Well, I would wish that," she said as she tucked Sarah's hair behind her ear. "but if I had waited for Elliot, I would have never had you. Honey, I was in no way prepared to be a mother when I found out I was pregnant with you. I was scared and alone. I couldn't give you the family I wanted for you. But I loved you more than anything in the world. And there was never a second that I ever regretted having you or didn't want to be with you. Sarah, I never would have given you up."

Sarah smiled as she stared into Olivia's eyes.

"I know that."

"Good. And you know that no matter what happens or what you do, you can always talk to me. Or ask me any questions about anything. I want us to be able to talk about things. I know as you grow up a lot of things happen in your life that it may be hard to talk to your mother about, but I want us to be able to get past that and be able to talk about anything. I'm here for you, sweetheart. And even when you think I could never understand, I promise that I will listen and I will try. Is there anything else you would like to talk about?"

"Actually, there is. There is something I have been thinking about for a long time now. And I have tried to just ignore it, but I can't."

"What baby?"

"Liv, I really want to meet my father. Not Elliot, but my real one. I have been thinking about him for a long time," she said as she started to tear up. "Since I first came to live with you. But I didn't want to hurt Elliot. And I didn't want to upset you. I love you guys and you are my parents. Nothing will ever change that, it is just something that I need to do. Please don't be mad."

Olivia stared into her eyes as she tried to wipe away her tears.

"Baby, I'm not mad." Olivia sad pulling her daughter into her arms and hugging her tight. She combed her fingers through Sarah's hair and kissed the top of her head.

"I don't want to hurt Elliot. Please don't tell him."

"Sarah, honey, Elliot is not going to be hurt or upset by this. He loves you so much and I think he will understand. But if we keep it a secret from him then he might feel hurt. Sweetheart, you can talk to us both. You don't have to keep secrets from us."

"You think I should tell him?"

"I do."

"Okay, I will. But can you help me find my father?"

"Sarah, when I got pregnant with you….your father was married to someone else."

"Did he know about me?"

"Yes."

"Did he ever see me?"

"No."

"He made it clear that I was on my own with a baby. He was never a part of our lives."

"He didn't want me?"

"Baby, he didn't want me. He had another family. A wife and children. And I was young and foolish enough to believe him when he said that he loved me."

"And he used you for sex? Just like that other guy when you were fourteen."

"You are so smart. Yes. And after I realized I was pregnant with you, he didn't want anything to do with me. I really don't think it had anything to do with you at all. I think he realized that if I was with him and had a baby, he wouldn't be able to lie to his wife anymore."

"So you went off on your own and had me. And that woman stole me from you when I was born and told you that I died."

"Yes."

"Olivia, I know he hurt you. And I know that he probably doesn't want anything at all to do with me. But that is okay, because I don't need him. I already have a father, a good one. But if it is alright with you, I would still like to try to meet him. Just so that I know who he is and I know that at least once in his life, he thought about me."

"If this is really what you want, then I will do everything that I can to try and find him for you. I love you so much."

"I love you, too." Sarah laid her head against Olivia's chest and could hear her heartbeat. "Liv?"

"Yeah, sweetheart?"

"If it is alright with you….can I call you mom?"

Olivia closed her eyes as she felt tears stream down her cheeks. She kissed the top of Sarah's head and smiled.

"I would like that very much."

"Really?" Sarah asked looking up to see her tears.

"Yeah baby," Olivia laughed as Sarah brushed away her tears and smiled.

"You know, I am here now. And I never want to be away from you again. I want to meet him. But I don't really want him in my life. I don't want to visit him and I don't want him to be my father. I just want him to know that I am okay and that I am happy. Here. With my mother. And my real family. And I didn't mean to make you cry."

"I'm just sentimental, I guess. Most mothers get to hear their child call them momma or mommy when they are just little babies. But you and I never got those moments together when you were little. When you came here, Sarah, I didn't want to make you feel like I was trying to replace the mother who raised you. You love them very much and that is okay. They took very good care of you. So I was okay with you calling me, Liv."

"But you're not replacing her. I guess I was just lucky enough to have two sets of parents who love me. I have two mothers and two fathers. And I love them all. I'm a pretty lucky kid," she said with a smile.

Olivia laughed.

"And I'm a pretty lucky mom, to have such a great kid. Six great kids," she said as she nestled herself into her pillow and turned out the light. "You don't have school tomorrow. You can sleep in here with me if you want to."

"You don't mind?"

"Not at all. I kind of like our mother daughter moments like this."

Sarah laughed.

"So do I, mom." She smiled a big smile as she snuggled into the blankets on the bed and closed her eyes.


	21. 21 Biological Stranger

_**(For Claudastar. Thank you for being so patient!)**_

_The Black Market Baby Scandal_

_(Chapter Twenty One: Biological Stranger)_

Olivia sat in her car with her designer sunglasses sitting on the tip of her nose as she watched a man across the street. He was tall with dark eyes, he was several years older than she was, but a very attractive older man. She took a breath as she felt her heart pounding in her chest and remembered the last words he had said to her.

"Get rid of it!"

His voice echoed in her mind as she wiped a tear from her cheek. This man was Sarah's biological father. A successful law professor, Bryce Pierce, hadn't changed much at all in the years since Olivia had seen him last.

She jumped a little startled when her cell phone rang. Olivia exhaled softly and picked up the phone recognizing the ring tone.

"Hey, El."

"Hey. Did you talk to him?"

"Not yet. I am just not sure how to do this."

"Then don't."

"Elliot, she has the right to meet him. She deserves to know the truth about who she is."

"Are you going to tell her everything?"

"I don't know what I am going to tell her. But understand her need to know who he is. Even after all of these years, if I had the chance to meet my father, I would take it. It is hard to explain. But I understand what she is feeling."

"I just think she is setting herself up to get hurt, Olivia. How do I protect her from this?"

"You can't. I can't. We just need to try and understand what she is feeling and I am going to be honest with her and tell her everything she wants to know. And just be there for her. She wants to meet him and I cannot deny her that, he is her father."

"I don't agree with it. This is my child. I am her father. Not some man who got you pregnant years ago and told you to kill the baby. He never once thought of Sarah after that day. He never went looking for her and he never tried calling you to ask about her. He washed his hands of the responsibility of the pregnant mistress when he handed you some cash and told you to end the pregnancy. I just don't think that is something that a child should ever have to hear about her father."

"I'm not going to lie to her, Elliot."

"But you don't have to tell her everything either. No kid needs that in their head. But I guess when it comes right down to it she is your daughter and you can handle this anyway you want to."

"No El, she is our daughter. Your opinion in this is very important to me. We are her parents and the decision belongs to the both of us as her parents. I just don't want to lie to her. Look, I never would have brought this up to her. But she came to me. She wants to meet him. She doesn't want him to be a part of her life and she doesn't want him to be her father. She already has a father. Her words exactly. She loves you, Elliot. She loves you so much that she was afraid to ask me to help her find her father because she was afraid it would hurt you. But not finding out isn't going to make the curiosity go away."

"What are you going to say to him?"

"I don't know yet. I am kind of hoping that something will just come to me when I see him. What if I set up a meeting and you can go with us?"

"I don't know, Liv. Sarah may be a little timid about talking to him in front of me."

"I thought you didn't agree with this?"

"I don't. But I think you are right, she needs this to understand where she came from. And I want her to learn everything she needs to know from this meeting so that we can all put this behind us and she never has to see him again."

"I love that you are so protective over her."

"She is my child. I don't want her exposed to any unnecessary pain. This kid has already been through more in her thirteen years than most adults go through in their entire lives."

"So what am I supposed to do? Tell her that we think it is a bad idea for her to see him?"

"Did you find him?"

"Yes. I sitting in my car right drinking a cappuccino and watching him walk across campus to his next class."

"He still teaches?"

"Apparently, so."

"Okay. Why don't you come back here, the other kids are with Kathy tonight. We can order a pizza and you and I will sit down with Sarah and talk to her about this once more before we act on it. Give her a little more time to consider this, before we make a move. Then if it is still what she wants, you can call him and arrange a meeting for the three of you."

"Okay," she replied starting the car engine. "I will see you at home then."

That evening the three of them sat around the table eating Sarah's favorite double cheese pizza and salad. Olivia took a drink from her glass as Elliot cleared his throat signaling for her to start off the conversation.

"What's going on?" Sarah asked looking at Elliot and then back at her mother.

"What do you mean?" Olivia asked not quite sure how to start this.

"I'm not a little kid," Sarah laughed. "Obviously you guys want to talk about something. You got soda and my favorite pizza and Elliot is clearly trying to get you to say something. So, what's up?"

Olivia smiled.

"You are way too smart. You know that?"

"I am smart. Can I have a Coke? I finished my milk."

"Yeah," Olivia said wiping her mouth on her napkin as Sarah moved to the refrigerator.

Olivia drew a deep breath then looked over at Elliot.

"Actually baby, there is something we need to talk about," Olivia said patting Sarah's empty chair. "The three of us, a little family discussion."

"Am I in trouble or something?"

"No, honey. You are not in trouble," Elliot assured her.

"Remember last week when you and I talked about finding your father?"

Sarah looked up at Olivia and then over at Elliot.

"It's alright, sweetheart. Olivia told me what the two of you talked about."

"I was going to tell you. I just didn't know how and I hadn't had a change yet. I'm sorry."

"Sarah, it's alright. I understand."

"You're not upset?"

"No. I just think that we should discuss some of the possible outcomes of this, before you go and meet him."

"You found him?"

"Yes. I did. Today."

"Where is he? What is his name?"

"His name is Bryce Pierce. And last I knew he lived in Long Island with his wife and three sons. But that may have changed over the years. He is a Law Professor at one of the Universities."

"Did you tell him about me?"

"No. I didn't talk to him yet. I….we wanted to talk to you first and make sure that this is for sure what you wanted to do."

"I really want to meet him."

"Honey, when I dated your father he was married to another woman. And when I told him I was pregnant, he didn't want anything else to do with me. Now that didn't necessarily have anything to do with you. But this man….I'm just not sure how he is going to react to finding out he has a thirteen year old daughter."

"Well, if he knew you were pregnant when you broke up then it shouldn't really be much of a surprise."

"You never know, honey. It has been a long time."

"I still really want to meet him."

"Then I will call him tomorrow and see if I can set something up."

"Thank you," Sarah said throwing her arms around her mother's neck and hugging her tight. "You guys don't have to worry, you know. He isn't my father anymore. Elliot is my father now. I don't want that to change, I just really feel like I need to see him. To kind of know where I come from, I guess. I don't really know how else to explain it."

"You explained it just fine Sarah," Elliot said with a smile.

"Thank you guys."

"You are welcome, sweetheart."

Two days later Olivia approached a man standing alone in the park. Sarah watched from a nearby bench as they talked for a few moments.

"Olivia, oh my God. It has been a very long time."

"Almost fourteen years."

"I was surprised when my secretary gave me the message stating that you wanted to meet for lunch. How have you been?"

"Really well these past few months. You?"

"Alright. My youngest just graduated high school and starts Yale in the fall. And my oldest just graduated Harvard Law."

"You must be very proud."

"I am. I hope that you have made a good life for yourself."

"I have. I am getting married in three weeks. To the most wonderful man I have ever met."

"That is good. I always hoped you would find someone good."

"I did. I definitely did. But listen, that is not why I am here."

Bryce looked over at her.

"What exactly brings you here?"

"My daughter." She watched as a troubled look crossed his face. "Our daughter, Bryce."

"Our daughter? What do you want?"

"Nothing."

"Then why would you come here? Why after all of this time would you bring this up? I thought you had that pregnancy terminated?"

"Surprise. I thought you knew me better than that."

"I thought I did, too."

"Then you should have known all along that I do not believe in abortion. I would never kill my child."

"So now what? Huh? You come back around here after all of these years wanting a father for your kid?"

"No. She has a father. A wonderful father."

"What then? Money….you want money? Child support for the past….how many years was it…."

"Almost fourteen. But, no. I don't want your money."

"Then what do you want?"

"I don't want anything. Nothing. She wanted to meet you."

"Absolutely not."

"What could it possibly hurt? I am not asking you to raise her. I have not asked you for anything, nothing at all, just this. No money, not a cent. All I ask is twenty minutes of your time so that your daughter can say that once, she met her father. It will only take a moment and then you can return to your perfect little life and Sarah and I will be out of your life forever."

"Look Olivia, you wanted to have a baby and play mommy, you got your baby. I wanted no part of it. I told you that a long time ago. I can't help you."

"Then you go over there and tell her than yourself."

"Over the….she is here? You brought her here with you?"

"I knew if we agreed to meet some other time you wouldn't show up. Look, she doesn't bite. Just go and talk to her and get it over with. Then we can both go home and move on with our lives."

"What does she want?"

"To meet her father, Bryce."

He turned and looked over at the young girl sitting on the bench watching them.

"What is her name?"

"Sarah."

He looked at the girl for a moment then looked back at Olivia.

"She looks like you."

"She does," Olivia said with a smile. "She is very smart, an honor student. Musically talented and loves to draw and paint. She is a kid. She is not asking for you to come back into her life. She just wants to meet you."

"Twenty minutes. That is really all I can offer. Then I have to get back to work."

"Alright," Olivia said smiling and motioning for Sarah to come over to them.

Sarah stood up from the bench straightening her dress and walked to stand beside her mother.

"Sarah, this is Bryce Pierce. He is your biological father."

"Hi," she said softly.

"Hello, Sarah." The man just stared at her, neither of them sure what to say.

"Why don't we find a place to sit down and talk?" Olivia suggested as she felt Sarah's hand slip into hers.

"That sounds like a good idea," Bryce said looking down at Sarah.

"My mom said that you have another family, a wife and kids?"

"Yes. I have three sons. The youngest just graduated high school."

"So, I have brothers."

Bryce stared at her for a moment in silence.

"I guess that is one way to look at it."

"I have brothers and sisters, now. Two brothers and three sisters. And a father, too," she said watching him for some kind of reaction.

"I'm glad that you have a family who loves you. It sounds like your mother has taken very good care of you."

"She does. She is a really good mother. And I am happy with my life."

"That is good. Do you have any questions you would like me to try and answer for you?"

"Just a few. You were married to some one else when you dated my mom, right?"

"Yes."

"Did your wife know you had a girlfriend?"

"No, she never knew. I was wrong to have cheated on her. I know that."

"And that is why you broke up with my mother right, because of your wife?"

"Things with grown ups are very complicated. I cared for your mother. But I also loved my wife. If I had stayed with Olivia, it would have hurt my family, my children. Do you understand that?"

"Yes. You didn't want to get a divorce, so you broke up with my mom."

"Exactly."

"Did you ever think about me?" Sarah asked.

"No, Sarah, I didn't. I didn't know until today that you even existed."

"But my mother told you she was pregnant. You knew she was going to have a baby."

"After your mother and I parted ways, I didn't hear anything from her for a very long time. Not until she called me yesterday and asked me to meet her here. She didn't say anything about you until about fifteen minutes ago when we were standing over there talking."

"But if you had known, if you knew about me….you still wouldn't have wanted to be a part of my life, would you? Because if you treated me like your daughter, your wife would have found out that you had cheated on her."

"You are a very smart girl, Sarah."

Sarah stared at him waiting for him to say something to try to make up for his harsh truths, but he said nothing. She turned and looked over at Olivia with tears building up in her eyes.

"I'm ready to go now," she said walking past Bryce and Olivia in the direction of their parked car. "Don't worry," she said turning to look at the man who had impregnated her mother all of those years ago, "I won't ever try to find you again. I don't ever care to see you again. So, I won't be a problem for you in your perfect life. I wouldn't want to mess things up for you or cause any trouble. I am sorry I bothered you."

Olivia watched as Sarah turned and walked quickly toward the car. She looked back at Bryce Pierce knowing that she would never see him again.

When Elliot arrived home a few hours later Olivia was in the kitchen cooking dinner.

"How did it go?"

"It went. He was kind of a jerk to her and I don't think it went quite the way she expected it to."

"Is she alright?"

"She says she is. She said she just wanted a little time to herself. She has been in her room since we got home. I figured I would give her a little space, before I went in to talk to her."

"Poor kid. The guy only had one responsibility to his child her entire life and he couldn't even get that right. Do you regret taking her to meet him?"

"No. It was something she felt she needed to do. I knew back when I was pregnant and intended on having this baby on my own that someday she would ask about him. And I made a promise to myself and to her that I wouldn't keep the truth from her. I stood there and let her ask him whatever questions she had. And when she was finished, we walked away and didn't look back."

"Why don't I finish up here and you can go in and talk to her? I'll give you guys a little mother-daughter time. I am sure there are things she needs to talk to you about without me being in the middle of things. But if either of you need me, I'm just down the hall."

"Thanks," Olivia said with a smile as she leaned in for a kiss.

Olivia walked down the hall and knocked on Sarah's bedroom door as she pushed it open. Sarah was stretched out across her bed curled up with a pillow. Olivia walked in and sat beside her on the bed.

"Do you want to talk about it? Look honey, I know that you were disappointed."

Sarah sighed and rolled over to look at her mother. Olivia laid down beside her and brushed a tear from her cheek as she kissed the tip of her nose.

"I love you," she whispered softly.

"I love you too," Sarah replied.

"Tell me what you're thinking."

"He knew that you were pregnant with me when you broke up, right?"

"Yes, he did."

"What did he think happened to the baby?"

Things were quiet for a second as she looked up at Olivia.

"He didn't want you to have me, did he?"

"No, he didn't. He gave me some money and told me to have an abortion. But Sarah, you have to know that I never for a second considered that. I wanted you. From the moment I knew you were inside of me, I wanted to have you and keep you and love you. I never would have had an abortion."

"He just assumed that you went off and killed your baby so that he didn't have to deal with it."

"Sarah, he isn't good enough to be your father. You deserve so much more than that."

"I know. And I have much more now than he could ever give me anyway," she said sitting up on her bed. "He was kind of a jerk. I'm kind of glad that we don't have to deal with him in our lives."

"Me too, sweetheart. Are you hungry? I think Elliot has dinner just about finished."

Olivia walked with her back into the dining room.

"Hey sweetheart," Elliot said as Sarah hugged him tight.

"Hi, Elliot."

"I heard you had a bit of a rough day," he replied kissing the top of her head.

"It sucked. The guy is a jerk. And I have decided he isn't my father anymore."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. Who needs him? I have you and mom and my brothers and sisters. I don't have room for people like that in my life anyway."

"Good girl. You know that your mother and I love you more than anything in the world. We love all of you kids so much, you guys are the most important thing to us."

"I know. I figure I have a pretty great life here, who needs a jerk like that in my life? DO you need any help with dinner?"

"Well, this is all finished if you want to set the table."

"Okay," she said with a smile. "Hey, Elliot?"

"Yeah, honey?"

"Thank you for being my dad," she said as she carried a stack of plates to the dining room table.

"Well, thank you for being my daughter."

Sarah smiled at him as she set three places for dinner.


End file.
